It Can Get Pretty Ugly When You're Extra Special
by SarahxEmmett
Summary: Takes place after Specials but before Extras. Instead of Zane dying, like everyone believes, he was created into a superhuman. More lethal than the most dangerous Special. Good thing he never disobeys his orders... right?
1. Plan

**Chapter One: Plan**

**This is if Zane didn't die. Instead, he was turned into a superhuman, stronger than Tally, or any other Special. He had been studied and tested on, officially pronounced dead, but more alive than ever.**

Zane's POV

They had me strapped in the plastic and steel chains I wore whenever there was a way of escape near me, but I was getting stronger and stronger each day. One day, and one day soon, I was going to break free from this hellish facility. They tested me, physically, scientifically, and mentally each day. They studied my every reaction and move. They had all the right technology to tell weather I was lying or not, so they knew everything I did was honest and as far, fast, or much as I could go. They knew exactly how well my brain worked, and my exact intelligent level.

Well, they thought they did.

When I ran, I ran half as fast as I knew I could, and I faked getting worn out, when I knew I could go for _days_ longer. I purposely slowed my reflexes, which was the hardest thing to do, and I made sure to never use my full intellect or insight on any test they did, clandestine or otherwise.

I knew when the were testing me. I was sure to monitor my every word, every thought, and every move all hours of the day. Even when I was pretty sure I _wasn't _being monitored or studied. Which was hardly ever.

I could also lie as well as I could tell the truth. My heart rate didn't quicken the least bit, my pupils didn't dilate, my breath stayed even, and I never faltered the least bit.

That's why they thought I was much less powerful than I really was.

I was stronger than the strongest Special, faster than any hovercar, and smarter than any famous genius in history.

Okay, well, maybe that was going a little too far, but I could be if they let me. Whatever I learned, I learned at an amazing rate and acquired as if I learned it years ago, and practiced frequently, instead of seconds beforehand.

Any day now would I escape and be with the person I'd been made for. I knew Tally Youngblood was my soul mate and I knew I had to be with her.

_Wait until she sees me now_, I would think, imagining her reaction as she took in my flawless, intimidating, sharp features, my lean, muscular body, my crystal-clear mind, and my inhuman and graceful reflexes and movements. I'd be like no other special she'd ever seen. No, I'd be much better. I would be the one setting the standards, the one holding the bar.

I never looked at it that way, like it was either one or the other, one dominate, one subordinate, but I couldn't deny the amazing feeling I got when I imagined her looking up to me, that she would be the one taken aback by my sheer presence.

I knew I was getting a little cocky, but my reunion fantasies were all I had during the boring days and nights.

I remembered back in the Pretty days, when Tally and I had first met, when we were starving ourselves and pushing ourselves to our limits. I remembered Tally's amazement at my speed, strength, and fearlessness. Until I got those damn headaches that melted my brain away, leaving her a Special and me a disgusting, slow-reflexed Pretty.

Not even when I was in the wild, a weak-minded Pretty struggling to make it, did I resent Tally for wanting me different, for wanting me to be more like her. Nothing even close to that. I was actually elated that she still wanted me, more or less. I feared that when she saw me, and in the condition I was in, while she was in the best condition of her life, she would turn her head away in disgust, rebuking herself for ever falling for such a fool in the first place, leaving my life forever.

Instead, she helped me, carefully hiding her emotions of revulsion towards me. She masked them almost perfectly, but I knew they were there. She didn't give me enough credit, though. I knew much more than she thought I did.

I proved that to her the night I was sure she was following me.

I had had my theories and suspicions that she was there with us, making sure we stayed out of trouble. I set up a trap for her one day, hoping she would fall for it, and sure enough, she did.

We talked, and I was "bubblier'' than I ever had been. I knew she could tell, too. I knew things were changing, going back to the way they were.

I made an impulse decision to kiss her at that moment, to see if things ever _could_ go back to normal, and for a minute there, I thought she would.

Then she slit tons of tiny little cuts into my hand with her scaled sneak suit, and ran away from me, vomiting out of disgust after what she had just done.

At that point, I resented her just a little bit.

But that was the past, and this was the future. Now I could understand exactly how Tally had felt, and find her once more.

A little part of me was worried that things would still be different, though.

The first time I had seen her since her Special operation, she snuck into my room, eager to see me. And when she saw me, I revolted her.

I was fairly certain she had not expected to feel that way about me, or she would have either not come, or been prepared.

To be fair, I had changed quite a bit since she had last seen me, and she had changed, too. We changed in opposite directions, and fell apart.

I worried that what if this time _I_ was disgusted by _her_? The thought seemed near impossible, but I'm sure it wasn't plausible for her to feel that way towards me when she had first seen me.

And the other part that worried me was that I overheard a few men talking about the changed rule; no more Specials.

The operation was to be reversed on ever Special, changing them into… not as special Specials. The new specials looked less dramatic and intimidating, no longer had "built in weapons", like their teeth and nails, and were not as strong and fast. They were still technically Specials, though, just like the people here.

This had me extraordinarily worried until I heard the second man speak.

"Do you know if they fond those two that escaped?" the second one asked.

"Yeah, I heard the first one was found a few days ago, but no such luck with the second one."

"What was her name, again?" he asked his friend.

"Tally, I think. Yes, Tally Youngblood."

After I heard that, it took much willpower not to grin and shout out in victory.

_That's my Tally, alright!_ I thought to myself gleefully.

But that was days ago, and I knew better than anyone that a lot can happen in a short time.

I was curious, at first, on why they kept me. Or, why they kept me the way I was. It didn't take long to figure out that if there was another attack on Diego, like there was when I had supposedly "died", when Specials became illegal, I would be their weapon. Their secret weapon that would ensure victory. After all, to them, I was nothing more than a robot that follows every command. Day by day, as I proved myself even more obedient, they let me a little more unrestricted. I was gaining their trust, so to speak.

Each day was going by slower and slower, the anticipation of breaking free making me more on edge. I already had my plan. Everyday, they push me further and further, testing my strength and speed. One day, one of those rare days when security isn't as tight, I would push myself "too hard" and beg for water. They thought I needed food, water, and sleep more than I did. It was tough to be fully rested and energized after a little over two hours, enough to keep me going for days, but having to lay still for three more hours, keeping my breaths even and my brain activity slow.

I could eat a few bites of food and be good for days, but they fed me a full meal every day, much more than I needed.

And the water. They gave me more water than I would ever need again in my life.

One day, I'm going to eat my full meal. Every day. I've been eating more and more, slowly building up to eating the whole thing. It wasn't a pleasant task, but it didn't bother me too much.

I would drink more water, too. But the day I would escape, I had to load up to supply me for who knows how long. At the exact right time, I would casually rip off my tracking pulse reading cuff, and make a break for it, before any alarms can even go off, or any security measures follow through.

I knew if the cuff was broken an alarm would go off, so the second the cuff came off was the second I would have to make a run for it.

The cuff was made of special aircraft plastic, coated with steel, iron, and carefully sculpted and melted into place diamonds.

With my recorded strength, there would be no way I could ever stand a chance to take off this cuff. With the strength actually I have, it would be as easy as ripping away tissue paper.

I was so looking forward to using my strength, speed, and reflexes to the best of my abilities. The best part is that they won't have a clue on how fast I can go, so they won't have a clue on where I will be, if they take a hovercar, weather they would pass me, or be behind me.

I knew the day was getting closer and closer. I knew it was only a short matter if time before I was able to see Talley again.

With ever passing day, my worries grew worse and worse.

The thing I worried most about was how I would see Tally. The gnawing thought was always hanging in the back of my head; _What if I see her like she saw me? _

I knew it was madness. I saw the other not-so-special-Specials everyday, and _they_ didn't disgust me. But Pretties didn't disgust Tally, I'm sure, just the fact that I was so much below her, I was so much less than her.

And _that's_ how I felt about the Specials. That I was better. I was more. Stronger. Faster.

So, yes, I would feel more superior over Tally, but would it matter? Could it maybe, hopefully, make it better? I needed her. I wanted her. I remembered her vividly and I knew she was unlike any Special I've ever met. And the reason behind me seeing these Specials around me as so inferior was possibly due to the fact that all they were were Pretties with Special minds, pretty much.

Yes. I liked this scenario. And Tally was still Tally. She'd always be my Tally, and I'll _never_ stop loving her. Just the fact that she is now the only surviving Special proved she was still the strong, fast, smart, law breaking Tally I would never loose.

"Good. That's very good news," I heard from down the hall, disrupting my thoughts.

"Yes, I can't believe we've actually found him. I'm still slightly stunned that he actually exists."

"The wild boy. The boy who's technically not existent." This caught my attention. They couldn't be... were they...? Was it... David?

"Born in the wild. How pre-Rusty is _that_!"

"I heard he was the companion of the Last Special, too. They've been living together, hiding in the wild since the War of Diego."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That we set up a trap for Youngblood and use ol' Wild Boy as bait? Already in motion."

Fuck no. They were not taking Tally. As smart, fast, and beautiful as she was, the traps were probably stronger than her. To hell if I let that happen. I was breaking out tomorrow. Bright and early, right after breakfast. My plan was now in motion.

____________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: And that's the end of Chapter One.**

**Like it? Hate it? Please review it. Hopefully you didn't find it too boring, but it'll get better.**

**PLEASE review and tell me what you think of it! I'm really not so sure about it so....**


	2. X

**Chapter Two: X.**

**Sorry for the excessive length of my last chapter :( tell me if you think they're too long or anything. **

Zane's POV

I had eaten breakfast. Almost all of it. But not quite all of it because there is the possibility that too much food would slow me down. I drained a glass and a half of water, and felt it sloshing around in my rock-hard belly. I felt like it was being stored, almost. Like I was some kind of camel.

I guessed that was a good thing, though, since they were used to go across dry, barren landscapes for long periods of time with no food or water in the Rusty days.

I knew I would have to act fast in order to escape. I would have to choose a location closest to an exit as possible, and I would have to escape the second I broke the cuff since I was almost positive the facility would go into lock down mode if it was damaged. Not that I couldn't break through any steel door, bars, or cases... lasers might be another story, though. I was kind of big, well, very big, six foot nine, almost ten, and ripped like you wouldn't believe, but I was agile and swift, as well, giving me an advantage to make it through a laser-course. A laser wall wouldn't be so easy, though. I would just use some random Special as a shield and walk right through if that's what it took. Ur if that would even work.

I was going to get out. Soon. I felt it in my bones, in my very core. I was going to escape.

"X, change of plans today. We're going to run you through the course today, do some tests, and all that fun stuff, got it?" one of the "Specials" named Zabry asked. He was actually not so bad. He treated me more like a human. He even gave me a _nickname,_X. It stood for Project X which was what most of them called me, if they even addressed me at all.

They treated me like I was below them. Like I was some pet they owned. I was going to be the one laughing when I escaped.

"So were not going to be going to the Main Room today, but the Course Room, the Analysis Room, and the Watch Room," he told me, almost in a warning-like matter. It was as if he suspected me of being up to something... and him going along with it.

Well, I certainly was up to something, but nothing was going to stop me. I didn't need to know where I was going today, today was the day I was going to free myself from my subordinates clutches.

Before I was able to think more about my escape plan, I was interrupted by the gut-wrenching voice of Fauntlen, the head Special. He was about 600 meters away, I presumed. I heard his footsteps, his heartbeat, his breathing. I smelled his breath, his distinct odor. He didn't smell particularly foul, but connecting even the sweetest smell to the thought of him was enough to call it an odor.

I put my fork down, knowing I would crush it in my grasp as he came closer. I continued with my even breathing, acting like I was completely oblivious to his obnoxious presence. Just like a good drone. That's all I was to them. A drone. A _thing_ they created and had complete control over. I was eager to prove them wrong.

I stood up from my white, magnetically lifted stool, standing at attention, waiting for my orders.

_We pass the front exit, I knock out a few Specials, I hold them up for eye scans, make a run for it, and take off my cuff once I have escaped. _

_We pass the "secret" underground exit, I make a break for it in the tunnels, making sure to block the entrance. I'll knock out whatever Specials are down there, using them for my benefits, detaching the cuff once outside the building. _

It amused me at how easily escape was. I was sure it wasn't as easy as I thought, but I was positive I would be able to escape.

"You," Fauntlen addressed me coldly. "Come with me."

I followed his orders. Whenever I was around him I had to control myself more than ever. I had to grip my wrists in each hand behind my back so I wouldn't hit him. I had to bite my tongue with my sharp, harder than diamond teeth so I wouldn't say anything out of place. I had to regulate my breaths to keep my heart rate at bay.

The things that made me loath this filthy creature the most, was the fact that he wanted to personally catch Tally. He wanted to find her, catch her, then torture her. He not only wanted to make her a stupid, listless Pretty,he wanted to kill her.

He was smart. I wasn't going to deny that. He disrespected me the most, yet he knew the most about me. He, unlike the others, knew that I was still there, that I was much more than some drone they created. He knew I remembered things, he knew I was still human. The inhuman human. I felt, I had emotion, I had restraint, I was smart, and he knew all this.

He taunted me. He knew he was testing my limits, that I was restraining myself.

"Remember your little girlfriend, Tally Youngblood?" he would ask me.

I would look straight past him, as if her wasn't there. If I looked into his crazed, pathetic eyes, I knew I would loose it and kill the motherfucker.

"I'm going to catch her. I'm going to kill her, and I'm going to record it all. I'll show it to you and you will watch. You will watch your girlfriend suffer until she dies. You'll know that you could have stopped me so easily, that you had the power to kill me before I killed her, that you _knew_ about my little plan, and you did _nothing_."

He was pushing my limits. I was smart enough to know he _wanted _me to loose it. So I had to sit there. I had to stand by and listen to his wretched voice.

"That's right. You can't touch me. You can't even look me in the eye. You're worthless. No, I take that back, you're worthless until we need you. Then we will use you for whatever we need, not bothering to do it ourselves, putting you in danger over us. And if you die, you'll be worth just as much as you do now."

I was amazed I haven't already killed him. I tried to formulate killing Fauntlen in my escape plan, but I just figured if I have time, or any opportunity, I would, if not, oh well.

I followed him to the Course room. Where I ran courses with obstacles, or just ran as far and fast as I let them see, feigning exhaustion when I finished.

I discreetly looked around me, checking to see if there were any ways for my escape. I could go with my tunnel idea, but, even in this body, there were drugs that could sedate me, and if there was no place to run, and I was captured, they would find out a hell of a lot more about me. More than I wanted them to know, and not only that, but they would keep a tighter hold on me.

When I couldn't find a convenient exit, I decided to run the course. It didn't really matter.

"You know what to do. Run when I say go, no holding back, stop when I say stop," Fauntlen said in an exasperated voice. "Go."

I took of at my slow but still inhuman pace. Faster than any Special, now, or when they weren't as... soft. And if they didn't change hovercars since _my_ change, I was faster than them, too.

I ran with even breaths. Running like this was more like steady jogging, After a while, I started to breath heavier. I jumped over the levitation sticks, I smelled the electricity in the air. Not only were they levitation sticks, they were stunsticks. If I didn't jump high enough or crawl low enough, they would shock me so badly, that it would even effect me. It wouldn't hurt too badly, but it was enough to make me falter. I was pretty sure such a shock could kill a Pretty.

I ran, crawled, an jumped until the real obstacles came. I had to dive through rings like some kind of circus animal they had in the Rusty days when they trained wild animals to do tricks. I had to climb up walls, walls that were four times taller than me and had a slick surface. I had to swing over places, I had to do so many ridiculous things. I didn't even know the point in the things they put me through.

I would be out soon. 

**!...Ugh!... Crap!!!...IGuessICan'tUpdateForAWhile..BUT.???!I'llGetThisFixedASAP!!!**

**I'mReallySorryToAllOfYouGuys!:(**

**Review?**

**Haha.**

**Yes,EvenAtATimeWhenMySpacebarBreaksAndI'mSOOOOTotallyStressedOutIStillWorryAboutReviews**

**HopeThisWasn'/N:(**

**~Sarah**


	3. ANSorry!

**Sorry!GrrMySpaceBarJustBroke!**

**SoSorry!IHaveToGetANewComputerNowButI'mGoingToGetANewOneSoonIPromise!**

**I'llPutEverythingOnMyThumbdriveAndDownloadOpenOfficeAndAllThat**

**AGAIN:I'mReallyReallyReallyReallyREALLYSorry!**

**AlertsAndReviewsMakeMeSmile,EvenInMy_DarkestHour_lol.**

**LoveYouAll!!!**

**(((SorryIfThisIsHardToRead)))**


	4. Allies and Escapes

**Chapter three: Allies and Escapes**

**A/N: I am SO sorry for the super long wait! I got my space bar fixed, but I was away on break and I get NO Internet connection at home :( BUT, I wrote a lot of chapters, so I'll be updating really quickly! AND I got the Uglies guide, Bogus to Bubbly. :P So, now that I have read Uglies, Pretties, and Specials seven times each, and Bogus to Bubbly twice, I'm very confident with my Uglies knowledge :) Okay, I'll stop talking now...**

**Oh! (Disclaimer) I'm sadly not the genius that created Uglies, Midnighters, Peeps, etc...**

Zane's POV:

A whole day was wasted on idiotic tests, mazes, tracks, and courses, like I'm some animal they're training.

I _will _escape today, though. That I will make sure of. I don't care if the entire team of Specials here were in a large circle around me, and there were multiple lasers to go through. I would get out some how. And soon.

I hunched over my breakfast, hardly in the mood to eat. I remembered, back when Tally and I were Pretties, how we had starved ourselves to get the cuffs off. How stupid I had been. Putting Tally in danger like that. Either one of us could have died, like they did back in the Rusty days.

Dr. Cable. I remembered her, too. Much too clearly. I remembered her seeking me out, the one time I was without Tally, telling me about the option of becoming Special. She said she asked Tally, who blatantly refused. It was a tempting offer, but if Tally wasn't up for it, neither was I. I knew I could have persuaded her, but if it was not something she wanted, I would not pressure her into it.

Dr. Cable wanted me to do exactly that, though, persuade her into becoming Special. Another stupid mistake was not accepting that offer. If I had, Tally and I would be together now, clear-minded and inseparable. Now she was the Special, I was the monster, and we were way too far apart.

"X, finished?" I heard Zabry ask me, approaching me from behind.

"Yes," I answered.

"Good. I need to have a word with you in my office, then," he told me with a serious voice.

"Alright," I agreed, following him to his office.

It was a long walk to his office, located at the very end of the hallway.

"Come in, please."

I followed his orders, stepping inside the office.

"Sit," he ordered uncharacteristically, treating me like everyone else. I did as I was told, though. Project X _always_ did what he was told. Zane, however, had a mind of his own.

"I must say, I'm not very happy with the way you have been acting," he said, looking down to write something at the same time.

He knew handwriting? I would have asked about it, but I assumed it would be out of line. "I'm sorry, sir."

He handed me the paper he had just written on.

_The cuff is not the only one. Look at your left thumbnail. Do you see a difference?_ The note read.

"You very well should be. You must always do as you are told, no matter who orders you, or what that order is, understand?" he asked in a very Fauntlen-like voice.

"Yes, sir," I said, examining my left thumb nail. How the hell did I miss that? It was only a speck,very close to the cuticle, but enough for me to have noticed.

_The only way to get it out is by surgery. A surgery I know how to preform. I cannot do it myself, but I can give you the tools and knowledge so you can do it yourself. It's quite simple actually._

The second I was done reading, I looked up and gave Zabry a questioning look. I wanted to know why he was doing this, why was he helping me?

_I had a girlfriend once. Gamma. She was one of the sixteen, well, technically seventeen since you are considered dead, patients in the hospital to die in the Diego War. I knew what Fauntlen is trying to do, and I'm actually a pretty big Tally Youngblood fan. She reminds me a lot of Gamma and I know you've been planning something. If I had let you go, and let Fauntlen find both you and her, it would be torture. _

As bad _and_ grateful as I felt towards Zabry, one thing did catch my eye. "_You are considered dead."​​_

I rose two fingers to my neck to check my pulse. Yep, I had one and it was stronger than ever.

I hadn't noticed Zabry writing back to me until he slipped the paper back. _You're not really dead, just dead to everyone outside of this facility._

"_Oh,_" I mouthed.

I couldn't get over how strange this was, and I also couldn't help but feeling skeptical. Was he really going to help break me out, or was he setting me up?

Zabry started eating the paper, and I didn't have to ask about that. Edible paper. The most efficient way to get rid of written evidence discreetly.

I would have to trust him, and I hoped my instincts were right.

I would have to pay attention to what he was doing, since he probably couldn't say anything out loud.

We made it down to the surgical room where he pulled out a pain killing spray, a sharp blade, a pair of tweezers, and … a replica of my hand.

I assumed it was a fairly easy operation since there was only two surgical tools needed.

Zabry angeled the hand, readied the blade, and looked up to meet my eyes. He nodded, and I nodded back in conformation.

He sprayed some of the spray on the thumb, and swiftly cut a perfectly straight line a millimeter below the tracker. He sprayed some more pain killers directly on the incision, and pulled out the tweezers. He carefully probed beneath the open, prosthetic thumbnail and pushed the button on the top of the tweezers that made the tweezers close down in a death grip on whatever they grab. He pulled out the tweezers, pushed the button again, and they released the tiny microchip that was implanted in my fake hand.

We nodded at each other once more and went our separate ways. I wasn't sure how or when I would get my supplies, but I had a feeling Zabry would come through for me.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. The only thing I could focus on was the fact that everyday was one more day where I could have been with Tally. I stayed awake most of the night thinking about her... worrying about her. Was she _with_ David? How close was she to doing something stupid to get him back? Would I escape too late? Would I even find her...?

I got about two hours of sleep, though, which was more than I needed. I really hoped that today was the day I get to escape.

Breakfast passed by with no word from Zabry. Nervousness was overwhelming me. I was particularly on edge today.

It was a boring day. No tests, no courses, and no Fauntlen. I would normally be relieved at his absence, but instead I was filled with fear that he was going to find Tally. I would not let that happen.

I saw Zabry walking down the hall with an old-fashioned looking messenger bag. It sparked my curiosity. Was it for me?

He started walking my way and pressed the bag into my chest. "Go," he whispered.

I looked to my left and saw an un-guarded, laser-free exit. There was no way that was luck.

I was nervous for a split second. But I had no time to be nervous.

I broke off my cuff with a flex of my inhumanly strong arm muscle. I knew by then some kind of alarm was going off, telling every Special to come my way.

I had a decision to make. Take my thumb-tracker out now or later.

Making my decision quickly, I took out the scalpel and tweezers as quickly as possible. I didn't have time to worry about the pain killers.

I cut the straight line into my thumbnail and pushed it back. The pain was only a stinging throb at the moment. I took the tweezers and pulled the little fucker out of my thumb. I threw it on the floor and that's when the first Special arrived.

*~~~*

**A/N: Sorry this chapter sucked. :( Not writing for a long time threw me off I guess. And I know it was kind of poorly written and a bit rushed, but the next chapters will be better, I pinky promise!**


	5. Journey

**Chapter Four: Journey**

Luckily, it was Zabry leading the pack of Specials. I had a feeling that he had a plan.

I ran as fast as I could, and it felt amazing. I honestly didn't even know I could run this fast, it was exhilarating.

I felt like I was invisible, I was running so fast. What had they created? I was truly a monster. Nothing close to a human could run this fast.

I ran aimlessly, knowing I was being tracked by a squad of not-so-special Specials.

Then it hit me. I am so stupid.

What if Zabry wasn't the good guy? What if he was worse than Fauntlen? What if I had _another_ tracker inside of me, and this was all some plan to help find Tally, and to see my limits... my lies.

I was too wrapped up in the possibility of seeing Tally, I let something like that slip.

He seemed sincere, but all Specials can, if they want to, they may not be as special as they used to, but I'd guarantee that they still know how to lie. In some ways, these Specials were more conniving and sneaky than the "old Specials", because no Pretty or Ugly could trust a face like that, these Specials are less threatening, so you'd trust them. But they're still not nearly as lethal as I am. Or Tally for that matter.

I could hear the hovercars in the distance, looking for me. I wish I had a sneak suit. That would have come in handy. I wondered what was in the bag Zabry had given me. Without faltering from my run, I opened it up to peek inside at the contents. Water purifier, dehydrated foods, pain killing spray I never had time to use, sleeping bag, squished into the size of a bottle, a tiny, wrinkly looking pillow with all the air sucked out, and a vacuum-thing to suck the air out of the sleeping bag and pillow. I saw a few other things, but didn't bother to look at them, I just closed my bag and kept running.

I wanted to stop running and think of a place where Tally might be, but she could be anywhere. All I had was the safety for knowing she had not been captured—yet.

But Tally was the last real Special. She knew how to survive without being caught, she _was_ Tally Youngblood, after all. No way was some un-special Special going to capture her... unless she went after David.

I wondered where they captured him. Was it close by? I hoped Tally was near Diego. But was it too painful for her to be? This is where I died, after all.

My hope in finding Tally was faltering. She could be anywhere on _Earth_ by now.

I didn't care where she was. I _would_ find her.

I tried to rationalize. If the Specials captured David, he was probably near Tally, if he was her bait, and that meant they, well _she_ was close. Close enough for me to find her.

I heard the hovercars getting closer. I stepped up my speed another notch, which was faster than any hovercar, I was sure. They were getting closer, though.

I closed my eyes and let my instincts guide me. I kept running, the hovercars still on my tail. I was going to kill Zabry if this was a setup. He would pay.

The hover cars now split up into different directions, only one on my trail now. It could still be a setup, though. Make it look like they have no clue where I am.

I heard faint noises over the hovercar's engine. Talking. It was Zabry. I didn't know weather that was good or bad.

_"How the hell could this have happened?!" one shouted._

_"You created him, not me. How did you guys not know how powerful you made him? Do you know what you have done?" Zabry half-yelled back._

_"We need to find him, Zabry, we need to find him."_

_"Yes, I know," Zabry answered. "I keep seeing him, but then loose him again."_

_"Where could he be going?" _

_"I know where," Zabry said as I tensed up. "And it's not too far from here."_

_"Where?!" the other one exclaimed. _

_"Around Uglyville and New Pretty Town. That's where," Zabry said._

I heard his voice go a little louder. Like he knew I could hear. I was pretty sure Zabry was on my side, but he did ruin my semi-plans of heading that way.

I ran with them on my trail until I leaded left, and they kept going straight. It was nice to get away from them, to be on my own.

This must have been how Tally felt. How she's felt many times, being pursued by Specials, _real_ Specials. Even though I'm stronger, and faster, I think she's still more Special. She was the most magnificent person on the planet. She was the ultimate Special, not me. I needed to see her face, to hear her voice.

I tried to put myself in Tally's shoes, thinking of all the places she would go. I thought of the hideout, the place with the dome and the rusting telescope, back when Tally and I were cured Pretties. I had my original destination, around Uglyville, and they Rusty Ruins, but Tally was deeper than that. She wouldn't just be waiting around where she had some memories, she would be doing something somewhere new. I knew her.

The thing was, I didn't know where anything was happening. I hadn't heard any Specials talk about it. Or... had I?

I remembered Fauntlen and his little evil girlfriend, Hessa talking about it.

_"What the hell is going on up there? Their sixth Pretty has died, and no ones done a thing besides a few poor autopsy reports!" _

_"It's _Weston_, Hessa, they're probably doing it themselves," Fauntlen snorted._

_"Well see if I give a fuck, I'm going up there and doing an autopsy myself!" Hessa yelled._

_"Why do you care? I doubt whatever is killing them will spread down here," Fauntlen said in a superior voice._

_"Because I'm from there, you ass!" Hessa yelled. What a lovely couple they made. "Friends, family, all in Weston!"_

_"Well, just be glad you're not there." _

_"I'm going, Fauntlen. And that's that," Hessa said in a low voice._

_"No, I don't think you will."_

I remembered that from maybe a week ago. I had a feeling that I would find Tally there. She was always where the catastrophes were, always needing to help.

If only I knew where Weston was. Weston... they said "up" in Weston. So it had to be North from here... or West. Or North West. I still had quite a bit of land to cover.

The name sounded so familiar. The rangers! I met some rangers in my Ugly days, and they said they were from Weston! It's the furthest north _and_ west city in the county. I knew where to go.

I was luckily headed the right way. I wondered how many days of running I had left.

*&*&*&*&*

**A/N: Better? I hope so. I was not very happy with my last chapter... I may re-write it. Maybe.**

*****Please review! I've gotten at least 10X more alerts than reviews! Both are great but I'd really like some reviews :)*****


	6. Weston

**Chapter Five: Weston**

**A/N: New Pretty Town, Uglyville, all that is in California, (read that in Bubbly to Bogus, which is amazing by the way), so Diego's a little north of that, so Weston is like Washington. **

Zane's POV

After a few days of running, four hours of sleep, and three dehydrated food packets, I was in Weston.

I had to find Tally. I knew she was here, it all fit. It's close enough for the Specials in Diego to find, it's where something big was probably happening, and it's covered in green trees, perfect for hiding.

It was rainy and grey, but I liked it. I remembered the grey days in New Pretty Town, where Tally and I would just be together, sleep in, and other things that one would do when alone in their room with the most beautiful girl in the world... the perfect day.

She had to be here. She just had to be...

I saw the city coming into view. It was an Ugly dorm. Maybe I could talk to one, although, I would probably scare them. I _was_ a war machine, after all. I was more intimidating than the old Specials.

The sun was going down, but with such a grey sky in the first place, it didn't make too much of a difference. Besides, it could be pitch black and I would still be able to see perfectly. I saw a couple of Uglies hoverboarding, one girl and one boy. They look cooperative enough, and if not, I could probably knock the memory out of them pretty quickly.

"Hey!" I hissed in their direction. One didn't hear me, but I caught the other's attention.

"Hey, you, come here!" I realized that I was probably a little scary to them, but they came anyway.

"Um, hi," the first one said awkwardly.

"Hey, I'm Zane," I introduced myself, extending one arm out to shake their hands.

They just stared at me in shock. I knew I was a little intimidating, but I didn't expect their reactions.

"Z-Zane?" the first one stuttered. She was shaking her head at me. Oh. Maybe my "death" was... publicly known.

"Yes," I answered simply.

"You, but you're... dead," the second one spoke up.

"No, I don't think I am. Listen, I guess you saw the feeds after the Diego war, but I'm very much alive, okay?"

"No, we didn't see any feeds... but one of our... friends knew you."

"One of your friends? Who?" I asked. Could it be Tally? I had a lot of friends, but who else would have been here, befriending a couple of Uglies, no less?

"Tally. Tally Youngblood."

"She was here? When did you last see her? I'm looking for her, because, like you already knew, she thinks I'm dead."

"We saw her about two days ago. She said something about going to find David, cause he got captured by some Specials from Diego, she thinks. She's on her way now."

"No," I whispered.

"I'm Luna this is Kino," the girl introduced.

"Like I said, I'm Zane," I said again, now that they were out of shock. "So you said Tally was on her way to Diego?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't want to go. She doesn't want to face that city again. A lot of bad memories were held there, you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"I'm going to find her, but if she comes back, tell her I'm alive. And looking for her." And those were my parting words. I wasn't sure if Tally was on foot or on a hoverboard, but I was sure I was faster. Two days ahead of me though, without me knowing which direction she went, may be harder.

Tally POV

I had to get David back. As much as it pained me to go anywhere near Diego again, the city that cause my life to fall apart, I had to.

I knew he was being taken to Diego, by the despecialized Specials. I knew it because, even though I only caught one glimpse at the man who took David, I remembered him perfectly. Fauntlen. The arrogant ass. He was going to pay.

All I had was my hoverboard and my bag of things that would come in handy. Tracker detector, (the new one that can even detect un-set off bugs), dehydrated food, a change of clothes, sleeping supplies, a sneak suit, tiny electric poles to shock people out of consciousness, and, of course, my handy little needle ring, with enough poison to knock _me_ out for quite a while.

I was making good time. I wasn't sleeping much, so instead of even bothering to sleep, I just rode.

Diego, here I come.

As much as I didn't want to go back, I had to. For David. He wasn't wearing a sneak suit and got captured the moment he left to find some type of shelter.

I knew they were looking for me. A lethal, _real _Special? Oh, yes, I was definitely on their most wanted list.

I'd been thinking about Zane a lot lately. He was just always there, sometimes memories, sometimes imaginary conversations, or, at the very least, just in the back if my head, inescapable.

I had other things to worry about, though, things like David. I didn't even want to know what they would do to him, or what they would do with a twenty-year old whose never changed. He would certainly remember his Ugly days, and all the important things, like the lesions, the Specials, and he was a natural born leader. He would surely get a group of rebelling Pretties together.

I wasn't sure weather I had gotten used to his face, or if time was a slower, less powerful, natural operation. He was certainly not Ugly. He would be pretty damn close to being a natural Pretty, save a few things, like his nose was too big, he had some scars, and his complexion was a bit uneven. He looked like most Pretties, though. He had big eyes, but they looked more thoughtful and intense than a Pretties, and his lips were full and perfectly shaped. His floppy brown hair was gorgeous when washed. Even a Pretties hair can look terrible when in the wild for a good while.

The sun was coming up, and I was getting a little tired, and my hoverboard needed a bit of charging.

I slowed down and came to a stop, slowly drifting towards the ground. I unfolded the hoverboard, took out my air-less pillow, not bothering with the sleeping bag, let the pillow fill back up to its original size, and drifted to sleep.

Tally POV

Specials don't dream—or so I thought.

I had a quite peculiar dream, though.

I was flying through the trees, trying to reach David in time. It was so vivid, I could feel the wind blowing through my hair, the sneak suit wrapping around my body, the branches brushing against my armored skin.

I had this distinct feeling that time was running out, like I was going to be too late. I leaned my body forward, still maintaining my perfect balance, urging the board to go faster. It was all I could do.

I sped up, dodging all the big branches. Then I saw him.

Zane.

I stopped my board, forgetting the reason I was even on it. There he was, my Zane. But not the Zane I knew and love, but the Zane with sharp intense features, a lean, built body, designed for things no Pretty would ever dream of, and staring at me with intense, haunting, golden eyes. Eyes no one could forget, and no doctor of any kind would consider changing. A Special Zane, just the way I imagined he would be.

I would have bust into tears if my body was capable of doing so. There was no way I could go back to Diego, bring back all those painful memories. Specials were supposed to be tough—not let little things like memories and emotions effect them—but I couldn't help the overwhelming sorrow that took over my entire body. I was the last real Special on Earth,and I wasn't even a good one at that. What a pity.

I got back on my freshly charged board, trying to clear my mind of everything but the mission I was on. Finding and saving David.

The wind whipping against my face felt nice and comforting, something I was used to. Whenever I hoverboard, I feel more in sync with myself than ever. It's hard to explain, but I don't feel like "Special Tally" or "Pretty Tally" or "Ugly Tally", I just feel like Tally. I've hoverboarded in all different situations, and it brings back years of memories off all different kinds.

Everything about hoverboarding soothes me, it's the perfect escape.

But lately, it's been different, everything I felt on a hoverboard all leads back to Zane. I almost feel him with me, and it hurts.

Now, thinking about David hurts, too. After Zane... died, David was there to comfort me. We were together romantically for a while, but it just didn't feel right, my heart belonged to Zane, and I knew it always would. Being with anyone else, even David,who I was with first, would feel like cheating on Zane. And I just couldn't do that. In a decade or so, I'm pretty sure I'll have accepted Zane's death, but I'll never truly move on. And I was okay with that, dead or not, my heart will always belong to Zane.

Zane POV

I was running as fast as I could—which was pretty damn fast. The odd thing was, I was running _back_ to where I escaped from. It felt wrong, like I should be going in the other direction.

At least they won't expect me to be so close, though they'll still probably be looking out for me, but if they see me, they might be caught off guard.

Well, hopefully, if my plan worked, I'd find Tally before she gets to Diego.

I was so close to Tally. I just knew it.

I passed some ruins and I couldn't help but think of Tally and David. I hoped they weren't _together,_ but even if they were, I wouldn't care as long as I got to be with Tally again, even if she didn't want me in the way I wanted her.

I wouldn't blame either Tally or David if that were case. Tally's beautiful, smart, funny, adventurous, brave, everything any man could ask for, and I'm dead to Tally, if she moved on, good. I would much rather Tally to be happy with David than sad without me.

I started slowing down a little bit. I had to keep my eyes open for Tally, or anything that could lead me to her. I had no clue how far she traveled, how fast she was going, or how long she's stopped for, she could be almost there, or closer to me than I thought.

I kept every sense alert, I knew Tally's smell, and while I was only a Pretty I was sure I'd be able to recognize it and maybe find it. Also, I needed to listen for a hoverboard, breathing, anything that could mean Tally, look out for movements in the trees.

I found _a lot _of animals. Who knew there were so many hiding amongst us?

I may have spotted a plethora of wild life, but no Tally. I began to worry that I passed her. It was a possibility. Or maybe she took a completely different rout to Diego. That would suck. Terribly.

I knew that if I did find Tally, she would still want to rescue David. And I had a feeling she would go weather I wanted her to or not, but that was just Tally for you.

I knew I had to stop soon. I didn't need sleep at all yet, but it would sharpen my senses a bit, and I would be even more on alert.

But it would be a useless sleep. How would I be able to sleep when Tally could be so close?

I wouldn't stop until I found her. I couldn't.

I was running slower and slower, looking out more carefully for any signs of Tally.

I made sure to look everywhere, not missing one inch of the forest.

Then I saw it.

I sickly looking naked dead body.

For a terrifying second I thought it was Tally, but unless Tally died her hair blonde and became a Pretty, I was almost positive it was _not_ her.

I did go over to her, though, I couldn't just pass by it.

I heard faint breathing and a pulse as I came closer. She was still alive.

I rolled her over so she was facing up. Crap, I had no idea what to do. I couldn't just show up in the city, I couldn't take care of her myself, and I certainly couldn't leave her in the wet forest to die.

Her eyelids fluttered open and she let out a weak groan.

"Hey," I said dumbly, "what happened to you?"

She gave no verbal response, but a few small blinks. Her body was clammy and dirty. I had no clue what happened to her, or how to help her, but I gently picked her up in my arms, not knowing what else to do.

I paid no attention to her nakedness. Holding her was more like holding a pathetic, defenseless Littlie.

"Hey, stay with me," I ordered as she started to close her eyes.

"Mhm..." she agreed without really listening.

"What's your name? Do you know?"

"Dasha," she whispered. Her head lolled back after telling me this, like it was too much for her. She could barely even speak.

"Hi, Dasha," I said softly, "What hurts?"

"Nothing," she said. Hmm. That was strange. Maybe she felt numb? Oh, no. I noticed the hand prints on her waist, her neck, her arms, the light, slowly forming bruises all over her body. I didn't want to look there, but I did and it was bad.

I knew this. We studied it in Rusty History. It looked like she was... raped.

_Impossible._ That hasn't been heard of in centuries! Pretties didn't harm other Pretties, and an Ugly wouldn't be capable of this. It looked like she was slipped something, maybe a numbing pill used for surgery, the strong kind used for Pretty operations. No Ugly would be able to pull that off, _or _harm an vulnerable, beautiful, innocent Pretty. And I'm sure Specials haven't changed enough to lower themselves to that degree.

"Do you remember anything?" I asked.

"The Party last night. Then... I guess I got... too drunk? I don't remember." That was helpful. But at least she was getting back to normal, whatever she was given must wear off quickly.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I was hoping you would know."

I started to feel uncomfortable with her gaining consciousness and still naked in my arms. I checked my bag to see if I had anything, and sure enough, I had three extra sets of clothes.

I pulled out a large black tee-shirt that would fit her like a dress, and a pair of boxers. I didn't want to lend her those, I only had so many, but then I scolded myself for being so selfish.

If this were Tally, which I'm SO glad it wasn't, I would want someone to do the same, I wouldn't want anyone leaving her underwear-less just because they were selfish. She _could_ be somebody's Tally, so I felt inclined to take care of her, like I would want someone to take care of Tally.

I helped her get dressed, which was a little awkward, and helped her walk a bit, walk off whatever she had been slipped.

I had no clue what to do—again. I couldn't leave her here by herself, but I couldn't go all the way back to Weston, either.

People were probably worried sick about her, especially if she had someone as close to her as I had Tally. I knew I was going to make a selfish compromise; I was going to take her with me.

"Where are we?" she asked in a weak voice.

"We're in the middle of the forest, right between Diego and your city, Weston.

"Diego? Like where they had that war?" she asked. Well, at least she knew her recent history.

"Yes. I have to find someone, then I'll taken you back to Weston, okay?" I asked. If she demanded I take her back to Weston that instant, I would. I would kill the person who kept Tally somewhere against her will.

"Oh. Okay," she said. I was beginning to like her. Very cooperative.

"You'll be home before you know it," I assured her.

"Okay."

"We're going to go fast, so just close your eyes if you have to," I warned her. I could not afford her getting sick. I only had so many pairs of clothes.

She didn't answer, she just put her arm over her eyes, like I warned. Again with the cooperativeness, I was glad for that.

I started running slowly, very gradually getting faster.

I looked down at Dasha every once in a while, just to make sure she was okay. As far as I could tell, she was perfectly fine. Well, aside the recent traumatic incident she just had.

I was on alert again, looking for any signs of Tally.

It felt hopeless. Like I was never going to find her. Like I might as well take Dasha back to Weston with her friends and family.

I sighed a small sigh for Tally. I wanted to find her so badly, but the chances were _so_ slim.

Then I heard it.

A hoverboard.

But not just any hoverboard.

A Special's hoverboard.

And I knew I found her.

I ran as fast as I could towards the faint humming, and as it grew louder I became more and more hopeful.

I could see a figure expertly gliding in between trees, dodging every branch with ease.

I knew that figure. I knew I found Tally.

I was about to run up to her and grab her off her hoverboard, but there were two things wrong.

One, I had a girl in nothing but my boxers and tee in my arms.

Two, she thought I was dead.

**A/N: How'd you like it? I rewrote it twice because it was just to bland and I wasn't satisfied... then I created Dasha. :) **

**Review! Make me happy :)**


	7. Hallucinations and Dreams

**Chapter six: Hallucinations and Dreams**

**A/N: As some of you may have noticed, my last chapter didn't really make sense when Tally was listing off the things she had with her, and there was a blank line in front of "ring". Well, when I was reading over it, I changed it to "needle ring" and adding some more things about it, but then it didn't save for some reason, so it turned out a little confusing... Sorry! **

Tally POV

I was going as fast as I could on my board, but it was still not fast enough.

I sighed and looked around a bit. I thought I heard something in the woods, something big, but I figured it was just an animal.

I looked to my left and I knew I hit the deep end. I was truly crazy. I was so crazy I was hallucinating.

What an odd hallucination. It was Zane, like I remembered from my dream, but bigger, with sharper, more intense features, and... with a girl clad in a huge black shirt and boxers.

What the hell?

I was crazy and my hallucinations weren't even good. Realistic?Yes. Satisfying? No.

He was running towards me at a very inhuman pace, and then stopped.

I was so caught up in this hallucination, I almost hit a tree.

I stopped my hoverboard and got down on the ground. I slowly stepped closer to my frozen hallucination. He didn't fade, or get fuzzy like they're supposed to when you get close, but got even more realistic and defined, like a real person.

I sure had one hell of an imagination. Psychotic, subconscious imagination, but still.

"Z-Zane?" I asked. I had no clue what provoked me to talk to my gorgeous hallucination, but I did. Then my hallucination responded. In a very clear, realistic voice,might I add.

"Tally," he sighed, "Tally, it's okay, it's really me."

I got his voice perfect, better than the memories. It wasn't the same exact voice Zane had, but stronger and deeper, more intimidating. It was sexy. It was very Special.

He put the hallucination girl down, and she walked away a little. It was strange, I've never seen this girl before, but I was able to hallucinate her with perfect detail. I really do have a good imagination.

"Tally? Are you alright?" Hallucination-Zane asked me.

I swallowed to lubricate my dry throat. "Oh," was all I was able to say.

He took a step closer and leaned down to touch my face.

Oh my. The touch felt _so _real. His warm, large hand resting on my cheek felt so... real. _Too_ real.

I reached out to touch his chest. And it was real, too.

I screamed.

"Tally!" he yelled, startled at my reaction.

"You... you're real!" I said, confusion washing over both our faces. "Who are you!?"

It was not Zane. Zane was dead. Who the hell was this?

"It's me, Zane," he said, hurt and confusion evident in his intense amber eyes.

"No," I said icily, "Zane's dead."

"Please, Tally, listen to me," he begged, "I never died. Remember the day I went to Diego to get that surge done? Well, after the attack on City Hall, they decided that their idea for just one, super Special was a pretty good one. No one could know about it save for those who had the idea. They found me, found out what I was in for, and decided I was perfect for the job."

"I _saw_ your dead body! You were dead! You _are_ dead!" I screamed. This was _not _Zane.

"I was very _close_ to death. The operation saved me, though. They kept me for training, tests, and as a backup war machine in case there was ever another attack. I broke out to find you."

My throat burned with built up tears that couldn't be released. It was Zane's voice, Zane's features, only sharper, more defined, and more intense.

"Zane?" I whispered. It couldn't be true. But, then again... it just might be.

"Yes, Tally, it's me."

"Prove it," I said with an even voice. I was not going to fall into some kind of trap, which this very well may be. "Tell me something that only you and I could possibly know."

"I could tell you lots of things Tally," he said confidently, "Memories of ours were the only things that got me through each day. Should I start with the night you were voted into the Crims? You and Shay were Smokies, and I was in a tight black costume with a red arm band, a Rusty dictator's assistant, I believe. Very last minute, I remember the party was originally semi-formal, but a sneaky little Ugly,_ and_ Smokie, changed that so he could follow you around in a Special costume and leave you _bubbly_ little clues to a cure you consented to take in your Ugly days. Remember when we shared our first kiss? Then left our rings swaying in the breeze of the Pleasure Gardens? _Then_ scaled Valentino mansion to find an nonexistent room? We found the old elevator shaft with the cure and split it on an impulse, even eating a bitter little note that was addressed to you as well as _from_ you. Look, Tally, I'm so glad that I got the cure and you got the cure's cure. You may blame it on yourself, and I'm _so _sorry you had to go through all that, thinking I was dead, but think, if it didn't happen that way, where would we be now? So if you wasn't to be sorry that I'm now strong, fast, and everything I thought I never could be, then go right ahead. Be sorry that you gave me what I could never have gotten without you."

"I'm so sorry, Zane," I whispered into his chest. No one else could possibly know any of what he had just told me.

"Please, don't be sorry. I love you so much, Tally Youngblood, you don't even know."

He bent down to touch his forehead against mine. Yes, this... _was_ Zane.

I made the first move to softly kiss his full, soft lips. It was a gentle, but lingering kiss. A kiss I haven't had in so long.

He lifted me up and squeezed me tightly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, overjoyed.

I had to be dreaming. There's no way reality could be this nice.

"Uh... Zane?" I asked, very unused to saying his name again.

"Yes, my love?" he asked softly, his lips softly brushing against mine in a way that gave me goosebumps.

"Whose that?" I asked, jutting my chin towards the blonde Pretty who was dressed in what appeared to be Zane's clothes.

"Oh!" he said, as if he completely forgot she was there. "This is Dasha. I, um... found her in the forest, undressed and unconscious. I couldn't just leave her there."

She smiled prettily but shyly. Poor girl, found naked and unconscious in the woods, and to top it all off, we probably looked pretty scary to her.

"I'm Tally," I said, extending a hand out for her to shake.

She took it weakly and a little shakily. My guess was that she'd never seen a real Special before.

I looked around. Everything _felt_ real, but I knew it couldn't be. It was just another one of those vivid Special dreams. But I was going to make the most of it, even if in my dreams, I wanted to spend as much time with Zane as possible, since it was impossible to in reality. I never wanted to wake up from this dream, it was too perfect. It gave me Zane with a logical explanation, and him exactly how I wanted him, Special, like me. But in my dream I made Zane even _more_ special than me. Maybe that's just how I liked it, when Zane was stronger, faster, smarter, like when we were Pretties. I liked feeling safe with him.

As much as I was enjoying the dream now, I knew that when I woke up I would probably be in tears.

The three of us just kind of stood there for a while, but that's not how I wanted my dream to go, I wanted Zane to be as close as possible to me, and I kind of wanted Dasha gone. Why was she even in my dream? I willed her to disappear, trying to take control of my own dream, but she was as solid as ever. She did back up a bit, though, looking a bit frightened. Well, better than nothing.

Zane stepped a little closer, wrapping me in his warm, unbelievably strong embrace.

I wanted more though, I wanted what I craved so terribly.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him with more passion than I've had in a while. Tingling warmth spread throughout my body as the kiss deepened. His kissed me back rough and hard, like he couldn't get enough, like he needed me just as badly as I needed him.

It felt amazing. I felt complete. When Zane died, a part of me died with him, a huge part of me was missing, and now I've found it again. This dream was so amazing, a wished I was in a coma, so I would never have to leave it.

"Tally," he sighed.

He started backing away. I felt distressed, he was leaving me, soon he was going to disappear and I was going to wake up all alone.

Instead of leaving, he looked me up and down, examining me.

"You haven't changed a bit," he pointed out with a smile.

"You've... changed quite a lot," I whispered. Now that I knew I was just dreaming, not hallucinating, I figured it was okay to talk.

"I thought that's what you was what you wanted...," he said.

This is where the dream goes bad.

I broke out into dry sobs. "I'm so sorry, Zane!" I cried tearlessly. "I should have never made you change! I... I was s-so selfish! We could have been together; Pretty and Special, but I was just too selfish."

"No, Tally, it's okay!" he cried, taking the step in between us to comfort me by wrapping his arms around me, holding my face to his broad, muscled chest, resting his cheek on the top of my head. "I'm here, it all worked out, you weren't selfish!"

"You're here for now," I said, the sorrow in my voice turning into ice. "Then when I wake up, it's like loosing you all over again."

"What? Tally, what are you talking about? You're awake, and I'm _not_ leaving."

"No. Reality can't be this kind. I _saw_ you dead."

"They brought me back to life! Doctors do that all the time! They even did it in Rusty days, sometimes!"

I was speechless. I wanted to believe him so badly, and I half-way did, but the other half of me took control so I can still claim rationality.

"Tally, look at me," he said, holding my face in his hands, looking me in the eye, "feel me," he grabbed my hand and put it on his chest. My breath hitched ever so slightly as he did so. "You can feel my heartbeat, can't you? Does that sound like a dead heart to you?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head. I really hoped I wasn't dreaming... that would be too much for me to handle, to have such a good thing come crashing to an end, back into a bitter reality.

I looked over at Dasha, just remembering she was there. She was looking around nervously, as if anticipating something to come out and get her. She was actually quite observant for a Pretty, and she seemed a bit smarter, too.

She was kind of a downer, though. I really wanted some alone time with Zane. Why did she have to be here?

"When can I go back to Weston?" she asked, looking me straight in the eye. Most Pretties weren't capable of looking a Special in the eye, and not only that, but her heart rate stayed the same, too.

"You can go back whenever you want," I said icily. I was being a bitch and I knew it.

"I'm not ignorant enough to think I can actually survive out here on my own with no supplies," she snapped.

I looked at her carefully, noting everything about her. She had bright, cerulean blue eyes, with topaz jewels lining her iris, bringing out the blue even more, she had creamy looking skin, and wavy blonde hair, with swept out side bangs. She had two flash tattoos that I could see; one on the left side of her neck, gills expanding and contracting with her heartbeat, as if she was an underwater creature, and a roaring fire on the right side of her collarbone that swirled up her neck and grew when her pulse quickened. They were pretty original, and I liked that.

I still didn't like her being here, though. But, better her than a mindless, complaining Pretty"Tally?" Zane asked. It was still so unbelievable and strange to hear my name coming out of his mouth once again.

"Yes?" I answered.

"I know you're here to rescue David, but I have to tell you a few things first," _David_, I almost completely forgot about him. And I felt disgusted with myself for forgetting not only my mission, but my best friend in need. The best friend who forgave me for destroying the Smoke, killing his father, and choosing Zane over him. The best friend who was always there for me, never judging me, and always seeing me for who I really was. He never saw me as a pathetic Ugly, a selfish Pretty, or a heartless, broken Special, he saw me for me, just like how I feel on a hoverboard. He was my hoverboard.

"Yes, he is in Diego, somewhere. As far as I know, he was not in the building they kept me in. They're using him as a trap to capture you. They're smarter than you think they are, Tally, they knew they couldn't possibly catch you, not in the wild, not in your territory. They do know that you'll want to save David, though, They're trying to lure you in so they can catch you on their own turf. And if Fauntlen catches you, he _will_ kill you."

I let out a hiss at the sound of Fauntlen's wretched name. I would kill him way faster than he could possibly harm me.

"I think they also know that I'll try to find you. Zabry, the Special who helped me escape, possibly could have bugged me. Either he's a good friend, or a conniving, very convincing Special. I can't really be sure..."

"I can," I said, pulling out my scanner. I thoroughly scanned his entire body, enjoying it much more than I should have.

But I just couldn't help but to marvel over every hard line of his tall, strong, sculpted body. He was perfect.

I double checked, just to make sure, and was happy to report him clean of any bugs or trackers, set off or otherwise.

He sighed a sigh of relief when I told him the good news, Zabry was a good friend rather then a good Special. I didn't know the man, but I really liked this Zabry. He helped Zane find me, and that was better than anything I could have ever imagined.

I looked back over at Dasha, who looked a little amused.

I cocked my eyebrow at her, and she cocked one back right at me. I did have respect for this girl, it didn't necessarily mean I liked her, but I did respect her.

"You guys are heading to Diego?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yep, and unless you want to make your way back to Weston without any directions or supplies, you are too," I told her.

She perked up a bit and smiled at me. It wasn't a standard, beaming Pretty smile, but a sincere, slightly mischievous smile.

"And you're excited about coming?" I asked, a little confused at her reaction.

"Of course, do you know how boring it is in New Pretty Town in Weston? I mean, don't get me wrong, late night parties and drinking, and sleeping in until two in the afternoon is great, but it gets so old and boring after a while. And the last time I actually had a real conversation was probably back in my Ugly days."

She reminded me of someone. She was a very spirited, forthright version of... me. She reminded me a bit of Zane, too. She was trusting and unafraid. Very brave, too, and she seemed like a leader, just like Zane.

Maybe she would even come in handy... just maybe.

**A/N: Okay, I have some bad news :(**

**My Internet is limited. I get it out of someone's room since I'm at a boarding school, and that someone has decided not to let anyone in their room for Internet anymore...**

**I may be able to get in a few times, or find somewhere else, but I might not be posting as often.**

**I feel SO bad, but when I do post and it's been a while, the chapters will probably be pretty lengthy or I'll post more than one chapter.**

**So there is my bad news... Sorry :/**

**but here is a happy Mexican man I created. Let Pablo cheer you up**

**/:{**D

**Hah. I own all rights towards Pablo since I created him. One day he will be famous, all thanks to me.**

**Just to make that clear, I shall put a copy right mark by Pablo.**

**/:{**D ©

**~Sarah. **


	8. Good To Have You Back

**Chapter seven: Good to Have You Back**

**A/N: Let me rephrase that last A/N; I might not be updating as often, but then again, I might. My updating will probably be irregular, so if I don't post for a while, don't loose faith in me! :)**

Zane POV

She finally believed that I was really me. I was beyond ecstatic. I just wanted to hold her in my arms, like we were the last two people on the planet, and nothing could come in between us.

After a long talk with Tally, Dasha, and I, we decided that we would make camp here, and head off to Diego tomorrow night. I would be running, Tally would be on her hoverboard, and Dasha would ride on the extra board that Tally brought for David.

It was risky, and Tally was walking right into a trap, completely aware of it, too, and not only that, but I was going to help in any way possible, which was probably a lot since I knew my way around more than the two of them. I couldn't just deny her saving David. I respected him, he took care of Tally when I was away, so I couldn't just abandon him now, not after all he'd done for me.

The sun was about to rise and I knew we should start setting up to rest for a while.

"Is here good?" Tally asked, as if reading my thoughts.

She knew the wild better then any of us, and she knew it, too, but she still asked. Not something most Specials would do. But Tally had never been anything of the norm. She was a brave, trusting, friendship oriented Ugly, willing to find and save her friend by herself in the wild, no guidance except a few cryptic clues, then willing to give up a life of being a blissful Pretty to make her friend happy and so she wouldn't have betray the group of friends she'd grown to love, _then_ left the life she was content with to be the tester of a homemade cure to a disease she was willingly giving herself up to have.

She was a smart, thoughtful Pretty, who cured herself. She did crazy things with people she either could barely remember, or just met. She cared for others more than she cared for herself, which was completely unknown in New Pretty Town.

And she was a somewhat emotional, less superior Special, who cared about the people in her Pretty _and_ Ugly days. She wanted to make sure I was okay, so she visited me in New Pretty Town, knowing what the visit was going to do to her. She snuck me out, and secretly led us to Diego, following me the entire way, but not letting herself be seen. And she blamed herself for my "death". No Special allows blame to fall upon them, since _nothing_ can be a Special's fault.

Tally was extraordinary. She amazed me. I couldn't get enough of her.

She was setting up the sleeping bags while Dasha was unfolding the hoverboards and placing rocks on them to keep them steady. I realized how perfectly things had worked out, Tally bringing an extra set of everything, and me finding an extra person.

The sky was becoming more of an indigo blue, rather then dark navy.

Dasha got in her sleeping bag first, worn out from the hectic day she'd probably had.

"Walk with me?" I asked Tally in a voice so low on Special ears would be able to pick it up.

She nodded, leading the way. I wanted to grab her hand, to touch her, but I wasn't sure if she was completely ready for that yet.

"This must be a lot to take in for you," I said, feeling terrible. I knew the situation we'd been thrust into was neither of our faults, but I knew that her sadness was thanks to me. How long did she go thinking I was dead? And that it was her fault? I at least had the luxury of knowing she was alive, and with David. I didn't like David being alone with her all this time, but I was so thankful he was there, if that makes any sense. I was glad she wasn't alone.

"A bit. I just... can't believe it, though. Literally," she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, giving me a better view of her magnificent face.

"I know, you will in time though," I assured her confidently. "I'm not going anywhere. Not without you."

She smiled a weak smile. "So you're really Zane. Back from the never-dead."

I had to laugh at that one. It was so like her to say, and so much better then when my imagination provided all the time I was in Diego.

I reached out and stroked her smooth cheek, unable to resist myself. I was so afraid she would recoil away from my touch, but her reaction was so much better.

She grabbed my hand and kept it to her cheek. I faced her and put my other hand on the other side of her face. I knew what was bound to happen from here, and I was overjoyed. I was overjoyed, but nervous, she had kissed me earlier, but that's when she thought she was dreaming, what if she wasn't ready for a reality-kiss? I guessed it wouldn't be too different from before, but—

She cut my thoughts off, leaning up on her toes, placing a hand on the back of my neck, and pulling me down to kiss her.

I was right about it not being like before.

It was so much better.

I didn't think kissing Tally could _get _any better, but I was wrong. The feelings were intensified, the passion was overwhelming, and I felt like I was spinning, almost.

Shots of electricity traveled down my spine. I inhaled her scent, noting how little it had changed. Our lips simultaneously curled up into a smile.

The kiss went on and on, as if it would never stop. I didn't _want_ it to stop, I wanted to pick things back up where we left off as Pretties. I wanted to spend the entire day with nothing but her and I in my room, and I wanted to maker her believe that I was here and I was staying for good.

I reluctantly pulled away, grabbing her hand to lead her back to camp. I didn't know how much sleep she needed, but I wanted her to get it, I didn't want the slightest chance of her going into Diego the least bit unprepared.

She grabbed my hand and beamed up at me—the most beautiful sight in the world.

We walked back, hand-in-hand, not saying anything, but completely satisfied. I couldn't believe I was actually here, with Tally, it was so amazing, such a turn around from the life I was leading before, it seems unreal. If I thought Tally was dead, she looked ten times different, and she one day just appeared in my life, there's no way I would believe it was her. I was glad she was finally letting herself believe I was here, it makes it more real, in a way.

"I love you, Zane," Tally told me at the crack of dawn. The words sent shivers down my spine. Did she just say what I think she said?"

"I love you more than you could imagine," I told her. A mere "I love you, too," would not do nay justice to what I felt for her.

"I think, soon, things can be... like they used to be," she said, but I could tell there was more coming. "And I think we could do what we used to do...."

Was she talking about...? I didn't want to jump to any wrong conclusions, so I didn't say it out loud, but it seemed to me as if she was talking about... sex.

Ha. It's been quite a while since I'd done _that._

"Yes, I think we could," I told her.

"Too bad we have our little _guest_, here," Tally said, referring to Dasha.

"I heard that." We both turned to see Dasha still in the same position, her flash tattoos still moving steadily with her heartbeat. Was she sleep talking?

"Dasha?" I asked just to make sure. "Are you awake?"

"_No_, I'm fast asleep," she retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Not a morning person, apparently.

"I thought you were asleep..."

"Obviously." She still hadn't moved or anything. It really did seem like she was sleep talking. "I was, but you two weren't exactly using _hushed tones_."

I could almost feel her roll her eyes beneath her lids.

"Maybe... tomorrow?" Tally asked me, like she was afraid of my answer, like I wouldn't be okay with waiting.

"Of course," I told her. I got into my sleeping bag on the far right, and Tally got in the one between Dasha and me.

I listened to Tally's even breathing before I fell asleep. It was so wonderful to hear that again, something I was so grateful to hear.

I wondered how long we were going to sleep. I knew Dasha needed a lot more sleep than Tally and I, so we'd definitely be waking up first.

I fell asleep quickly, to the sound of two heartbeats other than mine, as well as two steady inhaling and exhaling. I was so lucky to have Tally beside me, but somehow, having someone else, too, made it even better. I didn't think of Dasha the same was I thought of Tally, at all, but she was a cool person.

Tally POV

I woke up to the sound of a Pretty's light, almost unnoticeable snoring, and the smell of dehydrated food cooking. I sniffed the air. At least it wasn't SpagBol. I did have to reluctantly eat it a few times after my Ugly trip to the Smoke. Not fun.

I looked over at Zane. Of course I remembered he was there, unlike Uglies and Pretties, Specials remember everything when they first wake up, who knows if we'll be in a situation where we can't afford to be the least bit disoriented. When we wake up, it's as if we never went to sleep at all, pretty much.

I got up, lightly, so I wouldn't wake Dasha, and crept over to Zane. I didn't think he knew I was awake so it surprised me when he spoke.

"I hope you don't mind SwedBalls, that's just about all I have. I already ate mine, so," he said, handing me the steaming food, "here you go."

"What if I'm not hungry?" I challenged, like a Little.

"I know you are because your stomach was growling in your sleep," he told me with a smirk. And I thought _Pretty _Zane was a know-it-all. I guess it's a trait he'll always have, if not strengthen.

I ate as he watched me, grinning. "What's so funny?" I asked, almost annoyed. If it wasn't so amazing to have him back, I _would_ have been annoyed.

"Nothing," he insisted, "I just... missed you... and everything about you, even the way you eat."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't force down the smile. It _was_ so good to have him back. Unrealistic, impossible, and crazy, but good.

My sanity was something I usually valued, but now, if this wasn't Zane somehow, I would not be able to value it any longer.

I knew it was Zane, though, just deep down inside of me, a little hidden place, I knew it was.

Suddenly, I heard something moving close to us, and it wasn't Dasha.

We both snapped our heads to the left, trying to find the source of the noise...

**A/N!!! Okay, sorry for the semi-cliffie and the shortness of this chapter, but the next one is HUGE!**

**And I have a couple of questions. I was thinking about putting a lemon in my next chapter, but I wasn't sure...**

**and do you guys like this story? Because from the lack of feedback I'm getting it doesn't seem like you do. So I'm doing what I said I wouldn't do. I need _at least_ ten or fifteen reviews before I post my next chapter. Chapter eight is already written, and just waiting to be posted so, up to you weather it gets posted or not. **

**~Sarah **


	9. Bet

**Chapter eight: Bet**

**A/N: Sorry I didn't get this up sooner, and I'm REALLY sorry I made you guys review first. But thanks for being patient with me :) I ended up rewriting this chapter TWICE, because when you don't post it, little things bother you, and then more things, until you completely rewrite it. At least that's how it is with me. Enjoy!**

Zane POV  
Tally and I went into full on Special mode. Whatever was out there smelled human, and was invisible to us. No human, Special or otherwise, could possibly be heard by Tally or I, but escape our line of sight, they must have had sneak suits. I looked over at Tally, she was blinking rapidly, switching out her vision, trying to find one that would be the most useful.

If they had a sneak suit, infrared would be useless, night vision was unnecessary, but my eye screen would work. I could read anyone's information if I had my eye screen on, even if I looked past them for a split second. It could detect any human, even in stealth. I quickly blinked until that option appeared and looked everywhere rapidly.

I looked up into the trees and the word_ unidentified human male_ appeared out of nowhere. I smiled. He may have been unidentified, but I knew two things, he was male, and he was in the trees.

Twitching my index finger, I scrolling through my eye screen sub-options. _Track_, perfect. This enabled me to track the person where ever they went. They were a tiny red dot among the trees and I would be able to find them anywhere now.

The little red dot jumped inhumanly fast. That told me another thing about them; they were Special. He jumped through the trees skillfully, his scales making little waves in the air, like heat waves.

I was catching up to him, there was no way he could out run me.

I wanted so badly to look down at Tally, see where she was. Was she following me? Was she right behind me?

Shaking my head slightly to out of it, I made myself focus on one thing, and one thing only; my target. My little distraction let him get further away from me, leaping through the trees gracefully.

I stepped it up, I was going to catch this person. Whoever it was was a threat to Tally and I, not to mention spunky but defenseless Dasha.

I was so close, the red dot on the screen practically obscured my vision, and he was right in front of me.

I took one big leap, going completely airborne, and landing right on him. I hoped Tally wasn't under us, and if she was that she moved out of the way, fast. We were hurdling towards the ground, and as much as I didn't like this person already, I needed him alive, so I switched us so that I would hit the ground first. If there were more of them, I needed to know.

We landed with a huge slam and an "oomph" from each of us.

Before he could try anything, I switched our positions once again, making sure he was securely under me, his hands pinned down to the ground. I had turned my eye screen off, and he was barely visible. I knew if I made one wrong move, he'd be able to run for it.

"Turn the suit off," I hissed. I would tear it apart with my teeth if I had to, but him turning the sneak suit off was much easier on the both of us.

"No," The man hissed back.

"Turn it off or I'll take it off for you. Not that I would know from experience, but running around naked in the woods, defenseless and alone isn't very pleasant."

"Oh, just stop trying to scare me, Zane. Death threats don't scare me, what makes you think nudity would?" I heard the sarcasm in his voice. The very _familiar _sarcasm. Was this..? It couldn't be...

"Fausto?" I asked, my voice getting softer, my hands loosening their grip.

"The one and only."

I let go of his arm, taking off his hood at the same time he turned the suit off.

He still had the devil's face flash tattoo on his face, shadowing his facial features maniacally.

"But... how?" I asked. It was impossible!

"Let me tell you a story, Zane... but first, could you get off of me? This is getting a tad bit awkward..."

I reluctantly got off of him, letting him free.

"A long time ago there was a boy. He was a rebellious little Ugly, never did what he was told. He hated the Pretty operation, he knew there was something painfully and obviously wrong with it, and not only that but why the hell would he want to be _pretty_? Why would he want such a girly adjective thrust upon him?

"He didn't. One day he met this friendly couple, the had the build of Pretties, but they weren't that at all. Their names were Maddy and Az. They said they had had their eyes on him for quite a while, and wanted to show him a place where he didn't have to be Pretty, a place where things were rough, dirty, and manly. He eagerly accepted their offer, packing his bags quickly, hopping on a hoverboard, and following them to The Smoke.

"At first, it was great. Working under the sun all day, building muscle, and being an escapee was all perfect for him. Maddy and Az were thrilled to have him there, he even took a liking to their little eleven year old son, David. The colony was small, though, and Maddy wanted more. She decided to tell the new boy about the Pretty operation, about the little lesions. She figured he would be concerned about his friends, about their brains. She was wrong.

"He faked care, though, wanting to go back to the city for a whole different reason. She asked him if he would be able to make it back okay by himself, and he assured her he could. Two nights later, he packed up a few things, grabbed his hoverboard and went on his way. The entire time he was musing about his grand entrance, his elaborate betrayal. He was going to Special Circumstances.

"After what seemed like weeks of hoverboarding, walking, and eating disgusting dehydrated food, he made it back to the city. He headed for Special Circumstances Headquarters. He flew in through the doors, looking like a savage. The Specials barely looked his way. He got off, threw his board in a corner and walked up to the closest person he could find.

"The intense, wolf-like features took him aback, but in awe. He knew this is what he wanted to be. _Superior. Better_. He looked the Special right into his coal black eyes, narrowed his own eyes, and asked for the person in charge.

"After the Special asked who he was and why Dr. Cable would have any interest in seeing him, he replied, '_Oh, she'll want to see me.'_

"'_She better.'_ the Special threatened before taking him to his bosses office.

"Dr. Cable was pretty intrigued with the boy's courage, and even more intrigued at his unusual proposition. She agreed to make him into a Special once she saw the Smoke and it's residents were captured. The deal was made, all he had to do was lead them to the Smoke and he would be Special.

"He fulfilled his part of the bargain, but unfortunately a few Smokies got away. Maddy, Az, David, and a man who called himself 'The Boss'.

"Dr. Cable pretended to waver on her decision, wanting to see the boy's reaction. '_Your loss_' he said when she threatened to make him Pretty. A scary, wolfish smile slowly crept up her face. Yes, this boy was meant to be Special indeed.

"He got what he wanted, but they had to relocate him. He knew about the lesions and had a brother in the city, only eight years younger. Dr. Cable didn't want to take any chances of the secret getting out, so she sent him to a close by city, Diego, where he was to complete his line of work. He was fine with the arrangement, on one condition. He wanted to be in charge. It was a hard arrangement, but Dr. Cable liked the boy, so she pulled a few strings and had it arranged. All was well.

"He never liked to have nothing to do, he always made sure there was something, and he always made it clear he was in charge. He made a little trip to Weston, one of the most uncivilized cities. They were nothing as bad as the Rusties, but the city did fascinate him. On his little trip he met a strong willed, beautiful Special. He knew he couldn't pass her up, so he took her back with him, but only on one condition did she come, she wanted to be second in command to him. He made the deal, glad to have a sexy, bold girlfriend and still be in charge.

"Skipping ahead a few years, this man had it all. He was content with his life. Then he found out from his old friend Dr. C, that his little brother had become a Special. The man was happy about that, his brother was more like him than he thought.

"They were even on the same mission, to find the Smoke. Maybe he'd get to see him again. But there was something else, too. There were a bunch of Pretties on the loose, with help of some new Specials of course. Somehow, this man's brother's city of Specials attacked his city. The Diego war had begun. It was over before it had begun, though, really. But the end result left the man fuming angry. What he worked so hard to get, what mattered most, besides his girlfriend, was being stripped away from him. He was no longer allowed to be Special. This just really pissed him off. But he was still in charge.

"He found his brother, after being separated from him for a decade and a half. He told his brother of the new anti-Special rule, and gave him ten needles, nine filled with the Special cure, one filled with the temporary cure. He had to give the cure to his group, but only take the temporary cure himself. He wanted his brother to have what was impossible for him. It turned out he did have a heart, after all.

"There was a very internally injured Pretty from the opponent city, and nothing but the Special operation could save him. But since that was illegal...

"The man came in just in time, though. He ordered for him to be saved, and not only by the Special operation, but an _extra_ Special operation. He was turned into the most special Special in history. He was no longer a human being, though, he was a deadly, secret weapon.

"He ordered up the death certificates, announcing the boy dead, but really, he was more alive then ever. ​

"He soon found out about one Special who didn't take the cure, who was still out there somewhere. He was infuriated. He did searches on this person, found out everything he could, and a lot of it was quite useful. He found out that the extra-Special had some ties with the wild Special and tried to think of a way he could use that to his advantage, but before he could think of anything brilliant, the extra Special escaped.

"Fauntlen pinged his brother, Fausto, and told him the entire story, he told him that there were two Specials he had once known that needed to be captured. And I said yes.

"But obviously, Zane, I'm not going to capture you or Tally. I don't think I _could_. But Fauntlen is on your case, and I wouldn't underestimate him. He's been bossing me around for quite some time now, and I'm sick of it."

"_What_?" I yelled. "What the fuck?! You're psychotic, man! I'm sorry, but seriously! What the _fuck_?!"

"I'm sorry, Zane. I just wanted you to know everything. And I thought it was kind of cool and dramatic to tell it like that."

"Yeah, you sure are Fausto," I snorted. It was hard to stay mad at my childhood best friend.

I turned around to find Tally glaring at us. "_You_." she glowered. She was... terrifying.

"Tally," Fausto whispered. He was a bit stunned, but I could see the joy clearly in his eyes.

"Don't talk to me you filthy traitor," she hissed. She was pissed. And she had Dasha at her side. I wondered how the poor girl wasn't shaking in fear already, I practically was. I looked at her, looking at Tally with admiration. She caught me looking and gave me a pretty good Tally-glare. Aw. She looked up to Tally.

"Tally, look, I'm so sorry. How much did you hear?" Fausto asked.

"Oh, I heard enough. How dare you, Fausto. How fucking dare you try to come back and try to make things right after betraying all of us for your own selfishness."

"I didn't have a choice, Tally!" Fausto exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to betray you... or anyone."

"Well, you did. What the hell are you doing back, anyways?" she spat.

"I thought you heard?"

"I did. But if you're really not going to betray us, why the hell would you be following us in a sneak suit?" she asked. She was a good Special. It made me mad to think Fausto and Fauntlen tried to take that away from her.

"I wanted to observe you guys for a while, I didn't know how much you had changed, and I figured Tally would react badly to my return."

"Oh, please don't tell me you think _this_ is reacting badly! _This _is fucking _calm_! Reacting badly would be shredding you into pathetic little pieces!"

"Look, we've all changed, but please, I can't go back to Fauntlen." I understood that. He was one of me and Tally's best friends, we should be able to trust him.

"I've been with Fauntlen, Tally, I think he's telling the truth," I spoke up.

She ran back to camp and returned with her scanner to check Fausto of any bugs. She throughly checked him, and glared when she couldn't find anything.

"You're dead if he shows up." That's all she had to say. Fausto couldn't contain himself, he threw his arms around Tally, lifting her up in the air.

She pretended to be angry for a moment or two, but laughed and hugged back. I could tell she had missed him, and that she was just as hurt as she was angry. Dasha, however, looked pretty pissed still.

"I never got a chance to introduce myself," Fausto said, extending his hand, "I'm Fausto."

"No shit," Dasha said flatly. She kept her arms folded, waiting for his hand to drop.

"I'm not putting my arm down until you shake my hand," Fausto said, amused at the sarcastic girl.

"Well then I really hope you have some good arm muscles."

"Oh, I do," Fausto said, looking like an idiot with his arm still out. "Wanna see?"

"No, not particularly," Dasha said, walking away. She was in a bad mood today. Or... was this just her?

Fausto continued to follow her around like that, both of them determined to win.

"Tally, are you okay?" I asked. I bet it was hard for her to have Fausto back after he had betrayed her like he had.

"I'm fine. I'm actually pretty amused. Who do you think will give up first?"

"Definitely Dasha. She's already looking pretty annoyed."

"No way, not only is this girl stronger willed than me, but his arm will get tired."

"You wanna bet?" I asked her.

"Oh, it is so on," she said, extending her hand for me to shake.

"Nope," I said, getting ready to fold my arms like Dasha, but she caught my hand first and shook it up and down.

"Loser eats nothing but SpagBol for two weeks!" we both shuddered. Tally wasn't the only one who despised the food anymore. After I went on the journey to Diego, I practically gave off a natural SpagBol scent, that's how much I ate of it.

"Deal," I agreed. Whoever lost the bet was going to be a sad, sad person.

After another hour, Dasha had fallen asleep, and Fausto let his arm down, rolling his shoulders back.

"Yes!" Tally yelled, scaring birds in the trees, and Fausto, too. "I won! You eat SpagBol for two weeks!"

I sighed but was thankful I didn't have to eat much.

While Dasha was asleep, Tally, Fausto, and I had a sort of meeting.

"Look, Fausto, your _brother_ has David, and we're on our way to Diego to get him back."

"I know, look, I can tell you exactly where he is, I can take you directly to him, all you'd have to do is pretend to be my hostage."

"No fucking way, Fausto! How stupid do you think I am?!" she yelled. "I know you'd pretend to take me hostage, then _really_ take me hostage, it all being apart of you and your brother's twisted plan!"

"Fine, I won't take you hostage, but trust me, I can get David for you, but I'd have to do it very carefully."

"Then that's exactly what you will do. If we make good time, we can be in Diego by tomorrow or the next day at the latest. We'll get David back, and then return Dasha home," I said.

"Return her? What do you mean? Did you kidnap her?" Fausto asked confusedly.

"No, no!" I said, "I found her naked and sedated in the middle of the woods when I was on my way to find Tally. I think she was raped, Fausto. She says she can't remember anything, but I'm pretty sure that's what happened."

"What? That hasn't happened since Rusty days!" Fausto shouted. I could tell he had feelings for Dasha already. "You can't return her to a city where that might happen again!"

"Look, let's just get David first, then we'll see what we'll do about that."

"Fine," Fausto agreed. "Let's get David."

**A/N! What did you guys think? Sorry it was mostly dialogue, but I liked it. :) I changed my rating to M just in case, since things are going to get intense. Review!**


	10. They Made Everything Special

**Chapter Nine: They Made E_verything _Special**

Zane's POV  
We rode for the rest of the day and all through the night. Tally, Dasha, and Fausto each had a hoverboard, and I ran. It was more like walking for me, though, since I could go much much faster, not that I minded.

Fausto still couldn't believe I had escaped. Apparently his brother was very, very pissed off.

It was kind of nerve-wracking going back to Diego, the source of all my unhappiness, but I would do it for Tally. I would do anything for Tally.

We were close. We were so close, I could feel it in my unbreakable bones.

We rode, (and I ran), until we broke dawn, and Dasha started swerving a bit. She wasn't going to mention that she was tired, that much was apparent, not with a group of Specials who wouldn't get tired for at least another day or so, but I was afraid she might push herself to her limit and crash.

I noticed Fausto had taken some interest in her, which surprised me. If Specials even felt anything about Pretties, it was how lazy, stupid, and inferior they were.

But Dasha was different, she wasn't like most Pretties, which was a plus since having a bubbly headed Pretty would definitely take a toll on our little mission.

She started swaying even more, so Tally spoke up.

"How about a little break? We'll let our boards charge for a while, after all, this is the last time we have a chance to charge them until we reach Diego.

Dasha tiredly nodded in agreement.

We stopped and Dasha set up a place to sleep as we all unfolded our hoverboards to soak up energy.

Fausto laid down beside Dasha, letting his face get some sun. I guess some Pretty habits never die, he was always tanning. He did have a nice tan, though, so I guess it was worth it.

Tally wordlessly grabbed my hand and we started walking.

"I know it's really selfish of me, but I kind of don't want to go back. So much has happened in Diego, you know? And if you switch the first part with the second part, it spells 'Go Die'. That must mean something."

"Well remember in the Rusty days when people were really messed up in the head? Well, the really messed up ones went to therapists. And if you out a space after the first part of the word, it makes 'The Rapist'," I said, holding back laughter, remembering when Fausto told me that in out Ugly days.

"What does that have to do with anything? Therapists aren't around anymore, Pretties don't need them. Now we have 'counselors' in case any Pretty has a little problem."

"I don't know, I just thought it was kind of funny. And besides, when would I even get a chance to bring it up again? It's not like we talk about mistranslations of words very often."

"Oh, shut up, Zane," she said, laughing and pushing me. She didn't push me that hard, but I faked falling backwards, grabbing on to her, so she would fall with me.

"Zane!" she yelled. She had good muscles and reflexes, but nothing compared to mine. I brought her down and rolled on top of her, much like with Fausto, only a lot better.

She giggled, a foreign sound coming from a Special's lips, that only egged me on more, though. We wrestled around like Ugly boys did in the dorms.

I was on top of her, our face inches apart. Her smooth, pink lips called out to me. I leaned down and kissed her gently. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I was prepared for anything, it was whatever Tally wanted, that's what would happen.

She kissed me back, shyly at first. But that was over very soon.

She attacked my lips with hers, putting more passion into it than I had ever seen before. We didn't exactly keep our voices down, either. I knew in the back of my mind that Fausto could probably hear us, bub I didn't exactly cared. Tally was the only thing that mattered at the moment.

"Zane," she whispered, slightly out of breath, "I need you. Now."

I knew just what she needed and was more than willing to give it to her. I quickly removed her shirt, tossing it aside, as she worked to remove everything else. Never the patient one, Tally was.

She started tearing at my clothes, her mouth never leaving my skin, she bit, kissed, and sucked at my neck, only parting to take my shirt off. My pants were removed as well. There was nothing separating me and Tally.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Zane," she told me somewhat impatiently, "I'm not exactly a virgin, you of all people should know that. Yes, I am ready."

I kissed her long and hard, plunging myself into her. She cried out, gripping onto my shoulders, digging her nails into my back. I kept going in deeper, until I was all the way in.

"I think...," Tally said, painting, "you've... grown."

She arched her back, pressing her chest into me. "And I think... you've gotten tighter."

I pulled out and went back in, panting. Did the Special operations do something down there, too? Because I honestly can't remember it being _this _good, and it hasn't even been a minute yet.

"I think...," she said once more with a moan, "they made _everything _about us special."

She was on the same page as I was. I started to pick up the pace, thrusting into her faster.

"Oh, dear fucking Lord!" she yelled, using the Rusty expression. "Faster!"

I happily obliged going harder and faster, getting her wetter and wetter, making it easier. She moaned into my lips, and I took the opportunity to plunge my tongue into her mouth, causing her to moan again. I explored her mouth, enjoying the taste very much.

She detached from my mouth, kissing down my neck, nipping at my collarbone. It had always been a sensitive area for me, and she knew that. Not only was it still sensitive, but it got even better.

"Oh, God, Tally!" I moaned, forgetting about being quiet completely. I thrust harder into her, causing her to scream out. I knew we were both _so_ close.

I picked up the pace, meeting her bucking hips with mine. The serene silence of the woods was disrupted by the sound of our moans, screams, our skin slapping together, and the deliciously wet sound of sex.

She tightened around me, shuddering and crying out my name.

I quickened my thrusts, riding her orgasm into mine. I came shortly after her, moaning and slowing down until I had completely stopped.

We laid beside each other, blissfully soaking up the relaxing sun shining down on our naked bodies.

"That was amazing, Zane," Tally whispered.

­___________________________________________________________________________________

Dasha POV:

_This is so awkward, this is so awkward, this is so awkward, this is SO fucking awkward, _I chanted in my head over and over and over again.

The sound of two Specials having hot sex in the woods about a hundred feet away, with another Special laying beside you as you pretend to sleep? Yeah, _very_ fucking awkward.

I tried tuning them out, but that was pretty impossible. I at least pretended to be sleeping so I wouldn't have to make small talk with Fausto while we tried to pretend like we didn't hear Tally and Zane ravishing each other not too far away.

Did he honestly think I was asleep? Because I have no idea how anyone could sleep through _that_.

Every time I thought they were going to stop, they just went at it again, even louder. I swear, they scared birds away.

"So, are you going to stop pretending to be asleep anytime soon, or are we going to lie here awake, listening to the _soothing_ sounds of Special sex for a while longer?"

"You noticed, huh? Did I even have you going at all?" I asked.

"Yeah, when you were actually asleep. When you woke up it was kind of obvious."

I cringed when I heard Tally scream again. Nope, not ever yet. It's never over....

I pulled myself up into sitting position, facing Fausto. "So... this is awkward."

"Just a bit. But honestly, you can't knock it 'till you've tried it. Special sex is, like, ten thousand times better than when you're a Pretty."

"Sounds like you know your stuff...," I said. The tiny flare of jealousy surprised me quite a bit. I smothered it back down, but it was there nonetheless.

"I know enough," he said in a modest, but smug way at the same time. How the hell did he even do that?

"You get around," I said, pressing my lips together. I guess I was being a bit of a hypocrite, but it made me mad.

"Well, I wouldn't put it like that, exactly...."

"Then how would you put it?" I asked in a slightly bitchy manor. My bad.

"I'm... experienced."

"Nice choice of words," I commended.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" he asked.

"Are you going to ask me no matter my answer?" I asked in return.

"Most likely," he said honestly.

"Then go for it."

"When Zane found you... in the woods... what had happened?" he asked hesitantly.

"I can't answer that," I said truthfully.

"I understand, it's not really my business anyways, I guess I was just kind of curious and I wanted to know, and I knew there was a bunch of stuff happening in Weston, so I thought I could maybe hel—"

"I can't tell you," I repeated myself, "because I honestly have no clue."

"Oh."

I remembered back to that night, all I could remember of it, that is. I was at a huge party being held in my mansion, Vendago, everything was crazy. No theme, no rules, just a bunch of drunk and crazy Pretties. A bunch of us decided to get a few temporary surges, the ones that fade away by themselves. I got highlights that went from bright white, to a light gold color, to a darker gold color, until it reached bronze, then the bronze got gradually darker, then the dark bronze went to black, then faded back. I've always had a thing for metallic colors, hence the eye jewelry, so it was perfect for me. I got my lips to be stained a bright mixture of bronze and gold to go with my hair, and my skin glowed going from normal colored to a beautiful gold in sync with my heartbeat. My girl friends did the same things, but with different color themes.

My other, (mostly guy), friends got a little crazier, though. Azre got bleached from head to toe, draining his skin and hair of color completely, Keela got Medusa snakes in her hair that looked much to lifelike, tinted her skin green, and wore a little gold crown, looking completely Pre-Rusty in an amazing way, and Helio came on fire. Literally. There's this new thing out that you can put on your skin so it won't catch fire, but it will hold it. It was weird. It also doesn't allow it to spread, so he can sleep on fire, and his bed would stay untouched by the fire. It was pretty amazing.

Then I remembered drinking—a lot. Too much. I felt dizzy, but not in the usual drunken way. I got nauseous, and fell into the arms of a stranger who's face I didn't even catch.

The next thing I knew, I was in the middle of the woods, naked, sore, and being held by a gigantic, slightly scary man. Now I was here. Doing the bravest, most adventurous thing I'd ever done. And the most fun. Parties and Pretties can get boring at times, especially the hangovers. This—being out in the wild, going on a mission to rescue a guy from Special Circumstances in another city, traveling with the three most special Specials in the world—was was exhilarating.

"Hey, Earth to Dasha...," Fausto said, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Oh, sorry, just thinking."

"Yeah, I could tell," he said, looking down.

"Hey," I said, cocking my head to the side, listening for something, "I think it's over."

"Finally," he sighed, still tensed, waiting for us to be proven wrong, but... nothing. It was finally over!

"I hope they don't start again any time soon," Fausto said, "'cause if anything, us Specials sure as hell have got stamina. A fucking lot of it."

"Great," I sighed, wishing that even if they did have such amazing stamina, they would at least be a little quieter.

"Yeah...," I sighed, not knowing what else to say. And I thought it was awkward before....

"You're not like most Pretties," Fausto stated out of the blue.

"So I've been told," I said. What could I say? I was a freak, I wasn't like most Pretties, I never really had been.

"You remind me so much of Tally when she was Pretty. But with more attitude," Fausto laughed.

"Really?" I asked, doing my best to conceal my happiness. I kind of​... looked up to Tally, I guess you could say.

"Yeah, and I think she sees that, too. Otherwise she definitely would not be putting up with you right now. She's not too fond of Pretties. Not the mindless ones at least."

"Mindless," I repeated. "A pretty accurate description regarding Pretties."

"_Most_ Pretties," he corrected me, "You're not mindless. It's almost as of you—" he cut himself off.

"What...?" I asked, urging him to go on.

"Nothing, it's nothing, okay?" he said, looking at me with a fierce expression.

"Fine."

I turned away, facing the breeze, and heard it again. Tally and Zane going at it yet again. "Damn stamina."

Fausto let out a laugh but I refused to respond to it. Damn Specials.

**AN: Sorry it took me so long to get this up! Ugh, things are kind of crazy with me right now, and I have my other two stories Darkest Hours and Till the Day I Die out that I want to get out at an even pace, _and_ I'm working on my own book which is driving me insane! My friend just got a book published, and I'm almost done with mine, but I know I'm going to change it, rewrite it, and edit it about a thousand times before I'm anywhere near satisfied, and then I still have to get it signed with a publisher and a bunch of other craziness! **

**And by the way, how was the lemon? Lol it was actually hard to write because A) It's Tally and Zane and I have too much respect for them! And B) I imagine that it would be a little different for them than for us... so I did my best! Review :-)**


	11. Yet Another Plan

**Chapter Ten: Yet Another Plan**

Tally POV

We finally decided to give it a break after... well, we, or at least _I_ lost track of time after the first few hours. ​I honestly didn't know how long we were going at it, but I did know the sun was down and we had pretty much wasted a whole day.

Well, I certainly wouldn't call it _wasted_, but we didn't get any closer to David.

"Tonight we'll be there," I told Zane quietly.

"We may want to go over our plan, seeing as we really don't have one," he pointed out, stretching his other arm around me.

"We may want to make one before talking to Fausto and Dasha," I said. "It'll be easier if we already have a plan, don't you think?"

"So, Tally, what exactly are we going to do?" he asked.

"No clue," I admitted. "I'm afraid that, plan or otherwise, we'll just go in and wing it. It is something we've been known to do."

"True, but we can't afford to wing it right now, so let's go with the plan that actually involves having a plan."

I laughed, "Deal."

"So here we are, Fausto, Dasha, you, and I, approaching Go Die—"

"Diego," he corrected me with a laugh.

"Fine, here we are approaching Diego, we can see the city from where we are standing, we recognize some buildings, and then what?" I asked.

"Well, I'd say Fausto would know his way around the best, but I'm not sure if we can fully trust him yet. I would love to trust him, he was my best friend, but he did betray every Special, right?" he asked.

"Yes, he did, and I don't see myself trusting him again after what he did. And trust is a big part of a mission, Specials are supposed to trust each other with their lives, and we all trusted Fausto, and look where that got the rest of them. Most of the Cutters are Pretties again, Zane. They don't have the lesions still, because of their jobs, but still. They're still New Pretties, but they have jobs. Ho and Tachs are still semi-Special, they're rangers, like the ones I met on the way to the Smoke." I ranted. I absolutely hated what Fausto did. It disgusted me. He betrayed every Special for his own gain, even when he could have saved the rest of them, too. Bitch.

"I know, Tally, but look, we have to trust him, or we can't do this."

"I know!" I snapped. I was getting childishly angry for no reason. I crossed my arms and glared up towards the sky.

One moment I was looking at the night sky, the next my view was completely obscured by a much better one. Zane was hovering above me smiling.

"You're so sexy when you get mad," he said, kissing the top of my nose. "But it's cute."

Ugh. Cute? Really? I figured that adjective would have dropped after the Special operation, but apparently not.

He kissed his way down my jaw line, kissing little trails down my neck, then nipping at my collarbone.

"No, Zane, come on, we need to get going, seriously," I halfheartedly protested.

He smiled against my skin and all forms of protest were lost. "Mmm, Tally," he mumbled.

I grabbed his face, brining it towards mine, his lips met mine passionately, ravishing them like he had all day. One hand was brushing my hair out of my face, the other was grabbing at my waist. He wasted no time thrusting into me. I let out a cry of pleasure as he did so, repeating the motion slowly but hard. I bucked my hips to meet his, going faster and faster.

"No!" I heard someone yell from the distance. I didn't feel like stopping, so I didn't, but Zane had other plans. I grabbed his waist, still thrusting.

"Fuck," he sighed, "Tally, stop."

I did as he said and looked up. And standing there was Fausto looking very angry. His flash tattoos were swirling madly, that plus his angered face made him look quite scary.

"Fausto—" Zane began before Fausto cut him off.

"No, I don't want to hear it!" he yelled, fuming, "We've put up with this all fucking day, Dasha and I, and we're sick of it. I know you guys haven't seen each other in quite a fucking while, and Tally you thought he was dead, but damn it, this is getting ridiculous! Dasha hasn't been able to sleep, obviously, and what are we going to do with a tired Pretty whose probably going to have one of the biggest parts in the plan? You're being fucking selfish, putting all of us, including David in danger if our plan goes wrong. You don't even know what we're going to do, do you? You don't have a plan. You've been fucking each other senseless in the woods!"

"Look, Fausto, we're sorry. We were being immature and irresponsible. We'll make a plan, let Dasha sleep, and possibly postpone it a day."

"You guys don't even realize. We don't have a day to spare! You've already completely wasted today, we don't have that much time! Do you guys honestly think they're just keeping David in captivity all this time, not doing anything? They may take a day or so debriefing him about Tally, or doing tests, making sure he's okay to have the operation. And do you even know how much they're going to fuck with his brain in order for him to forget about his entire _life_? A life like his? He's as good as dead. He might as well be fucking dead."

He turned his back on us, disappearing into the woods. I'd never heard him so angry. And he was right, we selfishly wasted a day now who knows where David is.

I wordlessly got up to get dressed.

"I'm sorry, Tally," Zane apologized quietly.

"No, it's not your fault, we got carried away, we made a mistake."

"Well, let's make up for it. We'll work as fast as we can, we won't waste any more time, and we'll make it there, we can do this."

"What of it's too late?" I asked.

"No matter what, we'll do everything in our power to save him."

Once dressed, we headed out to Fausto and Dasha, where Dasha was sleeping and Fausto was staring at her, smiling slightly.

I cleared my throat, announcing out arrival. Fausto looked up quickly, his face hardening, glaring at us.

"Okay, let's plan," I said.

"About time," Fausto replied.

"Fausto, you know your way around Diego?" Zane asked.

"Yes."

"So you know where they would probably have David?" I asked.

"Zane would know exactly where they would have David," Fausto said with a cynical smile.

"You mean...? They would have him where I was?" he asked.

"You really have to ask that, Zane?" Fausto said, "It was Fauntlen who captured him, and it's Fauntlen whose head of Specials in that building, that's the building where they do things that Shouldn't really be done, and I'm guessing Fauntlen is not going to just hand him to the Pretty Committee and say 'All yours!' do you?"

"I guess you're right," Zane said.

"No shit. So, now that we've got that down, whose going to go in?"

"Tally and I can't just walk in," Zane pointed out.

"And I'm sure they'd tell Dasha to get the fuck out," I said.

"So that leaves me," Fausto said. "Maybe I could bring Dasha in, saying that she needed to be _Special_, to Fauntlen, who would probably oblige. Then what?"

"Well, obviously if you do that, it might hold the attention of one or two people, but not enough to distract the entire ward."

"But your return might, Zane," Fausto said.

"No!" I hissed, "I'm not letting that happen."

"So you're choosing Zane over David? I always figured it was that way, but you'd think that after all David's done for you, you'd be a little more willing to help."

I had no clue where this Fausto was coming from. He was so different, and... evil. He reminded me a lot of Fauntlen.

"What the hell is going on with you, man?" Zane asked, as if reading my mind. He squeezed my hand assuringly.

"It just pisses me off," Fausto said.

"What does?" I asked.

"That your putting... everyone in danger by not caring about this like you of all people should be."

"I'm sorry, Fausto," I said.

"Just... make sure things go smoothly. I don't want anything to go wrong."

"But your brother is head Special there, what do you have to worry about?" I asked confusedly. Why was he so worried about this? Why was he worried period? Fausto has never been one to worry, he goes in and does things with a battle cry and a menacing smile.

"I'm not worried about myself, okay?" he spat.

"Oh," I said in understanding.

"Just make sure the plan is well thought out," he said. "And I don't want... her alone."

It sounded like he was having a hard time getting his words out. Did he really have feelings for her? He's never had feelings for anyone, not as a Pretty, not as a Special, and now here he was, confessing that he had a thing for a Pretty.

"She won't be," I promised. "But your underestimating her, she's capable of doing things on her own."

"I know that," Fausto said, "but if your plan does go wrong, I don't want her in danger because of it."

"Okay, okay, now let's get started," Zane said.

"I've got sneak suits, two, Zane has one, I have smart plastic, needle rings, shock sticks, hoverboards, and voice changers," I said, listing off all the things I have that could come in handy.

"Zane's too noticeable, especially to them, for smart plastic to work, Dasha and I wouldn't need it, so you'll be disguised in that, Tally, Zane you need the sneak suit, and the other two could be for Dasha and David, since I have one, but those won't be needed at first."

"Okay, but what's our plan?" I asked.

"We can have Dasha go in, like your brother did, Fausto, and demand to be a Special. That would get some attention, but enough to distract them and get David?"

"Seven o'clock," Zane said, "that's when they all eat. Almost every one of them, If you can get past guards and alarms, your in. The inside of the building would be like a ghost town."

"Perfect." Fausto said.

"Let's Go Die."

**A/N: Sorry I can't update! I have strep throat and I'm not allowed out of my room! I'll post this as soon as I can!**


	12. Only Pretty on the Outside

**Chapter Eleven: Pretty on the Outside.**

**A/N: I found Dasha's name on the Internet! Haha it's Greek and it means "Gift from God" lol. Btw, you guys, sorry I'm so slow to update! I just got my computer taken away for like a week, but now it's back, but I know this int the only time I haven't updated regularly. :( I'm really busy, what with school and my job, but I'm going to try really hard to update sooner! Seriously, I wrote on my wall "At least three pages a day!" in all caps, since my wall is like my giant post-it lol. I just bleach everything off to get rid of it ;) Another LONGER update tomorrow, I swear!**

Dasha POV

"Are you ready?" I heard Fausto ask me, shaking me awake. Ugh, I had the weirdest dream Fausto was professing his love for me and Tally was talking about suicide, that old thing that people did back in the Rusty days when they weren't happy with themselves, so they took their lives. It was strange. To say the least.

"Yeah, I'm up," I said, yawning

"Great," Fausto said, helping me up. "Today's going to be a big day. We're getting David back today."

"Finally," I mutter. I haven't even met the guy and I already feel bad for him. While he's been in Special Circumstances undergoing who-knows-what, Tally and Zane have been wasting time fucking each other's brains out, and I've been wasting time _trying_ to sleep.

I rubbed my eyes tiredly, standing up to pack my stuff up. Tally and Fausto helped me, while Zane got the hoverboards ready. All of our stuff fit into three small bags, Tally, Zane, and Fausto all had one, and I, the defenseless, inferior, "bubble-headed" Pretty had nothing. I liked Fausto, Tally, Zane, but being the only Pretty was hard. I needed the most sleep, the most food, I had the least energy, strength, intelligence, and I had the stupid lesions. Sure, they didn't show as well in me as they did in my friends, but I still had them.

Tally had cured herself of being Pretty, so they figured it was possible I had, too, but I doubted that. I wasn't that different from my friends, I was more Pretty than I was Special, that was for sure.

I had gotten carried away in my thoughts apparently, since Tally, Zane, and Fausto were all ahead of me.

I leaned forward, trying to urge my board faster, but it wasn't helping very much. Angered by my own incompetence, I leaned even more forward, causing the board to shiver with my loss of balance. I braced myself for the painful tug at my arms, but only to realize that my crash bracelets were in Fausto's bag.

I was about to fall off. That much I knew. Weather my board would fall with me or not, I wasn't sure.

I flailed my arms, trying desperately to regain my balance. I almost had it, just almost, but then a tree appeared right in front of me.

"Damn it!" I hissed to myself. It wasn't the tree that I was afraid of, but the intense swerve the board was about to take. It wouldn't hit anything right in front of it. Right as I tried to turn on my own, the board flew from underneath me. I was airborne.

Looking around for anything that could stop my fall, I barely had time to panic over my impending doom.

I held my breath and swung my body out to catch the thin tree limb that was coming up. It stopped my fall momentarily, but it soon bent and snapped, leaving me exactly how I was before, but now with a tree limb to keep me company.

I hated the feeling of holding onto something, but still falling. It wasn't normal. I fell in between two thick branches, falling directly in between them.

My tree limb, however, was wide enough to catch on, but only momentarily. Again, I was airborne with my trusty tree limb, but this time the ground was much closer.

_If I can land this right, I might make it out okay. _I thought to myself. I tucked my head into my chest, my chin resting on my collarbone to avoid my neck snapping.

Now, all I had to do was straighten out my legs.

Just as I was stretching one out, the ground appeared beneath me with a thud. The sound registered before the pain did. I heard the _thud_ of something hard hitting the soft earth, and the _snap_ of something hard and solid breaking effortlessly.

"Dasha! Dasha!" I heard Fausto yelling behind me. I looked up to see him running towards me, his hoverboard tucked underneath his arm. Tally and Zane were in tow, Zane on foot, Tally in the air. Despite how far ahead Fausto was, Zane made it to me first.

"Dasha, what happened?!" he asked, his eyes bugging out of his head.

"I, uh, fell?" I stated almost inquisitively, embarrassed by my Pretty-minded fall. You wouldn't see a Special fall like that, now would you?

"Dasha, your ankle," Tally pointed out as she landed beside me.

"Oh, it's fine, just twisted probably," I said, pretending like the throbbing, tear-jerking pain was nothing. I knew it was probably broken, but maybe I could... hide it?

"It looks a little too swollen to be a twist. Damn it, I didn't bring anything medical, I don't think. MedSpray, actually. That's all I brought," Fausto sighed, shaking his head.

Was he disappointed I fell? Was I going to delay what had already been delayed enough?

"No, no, I don't need anything. Just a twisted ankle, I swear," I said nervously as I tried to get up without using my bad ankle.

Once I was up, I smiled weakly, doing a limp-hop thing to move around.

"Okay, well now that we know you can hop," Zane said, "try walking on your other foot."

I braced myself for the searing pain that was going to shoot up my ankle in a matter of seconds. I slowly placed a small amount of pressure on my right leg, regretting it the second I did.

An ear-splitting scream came from my mouth involuntarily, as did the tears from my eyes.

"Okay," I said, gritting my teeth to avoid screaming like a Littlie again, "maybe it's _sprained_."

That was the most I would give them. It was sprained.

"No, no, no!" Zane yelled, kind of... happily? "Your ankle is broken! That's the perfect excuse to get into the building!"

"That's the perfect excuse to get into the _hospital_, Zane, not so much the Special Circumstances headquarters," I spat, narrowing my eyes. I had gotten bitter all of a sudden, probably due to the immense pain I was in.

"You could say you got lost," Zane offered.

"And then what?" I asked. "Ask them to not only not take me to the right building, but to take me to the Ugly boy they were holding prisoner?"

"No. That would probably be just a little too conspicuous," Zane said, as if he had actually considered it.

"Why can't you guys just march in, kick some ass, and get the poor guy already?! Who knows what they've done to him already!" I yelled.

"I remember sneaking into Special Circumstances as a Pretty," Tally said. "But that would never work. We don't know the building at all."

"Are you forgetting Zane and I, Tally? We know the building pretty well," Fausto said.

"No, but _I_ don't know the building. I can't rely on you two to formulate a plan. It would probably sound a lot like the one Dasha had just a moment ago," Tally said,smiling a bit.

"I have an idea," I said. "A real one."

"Let us hear it," Zane said, directing his attention to me.

"First off, I'd like to say that I may be a Pretty without any superhuman qualities, but I'm not deaf. Secondly, this plan takes a lot of trust, in everyone."

Everyone nodded their heads, so I continued. "Fausto, you take Tally in like you've captured her. They'll probably take her close to David. Insist you do the debriefing. They'll say no. Then, you insist on at least talking to David, just don't use his name. Okay? Zane, you'll be in the sneak suit. Of course, that doesn't make you invisible to a Special's eye, but close enough. Follow Fausto in, and then stay close the walls so your sneak suit doesn't have to shift and change. Follow Tally. Just remember to stay with Tally. As for me, I'll limp in with my broken ankle, telling them whatever story gets me through. If I say I'm from another city, Weston, nonetheless, they'll immediately think of me as an infiltrator for the opposite city. I'm guessing Diego became a slightly more paranoid place since the last foreign city invaded them."

"That's..." Tally started, I braced myself for the criticism, but she surprised me. "Actually a really good idea."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. It really is," Zane agreed.

"And as for the exiting, there's always at least four emergency exits in every building. It's standard code that none of these exits are blocked or hard to get to. In every building, including Special Circumstances. My father was an architectural designer, and he told me where all the exits usually are. There will be one at the far left and right of each building, usually low to the ground or in a corner. The next one you can usually get to from a storage facility above the ceiling, and the last one varies. It'll usually be in the back, in plain sight, or underground."

"Why didn't you tell us any of this before?" Tally asked. She didn't ask in an angry way, just a curious, slightly stunned way.

"I was planning to. And now I did."

"We'll reach Diego by tonight," Zane told us, putting his hands on Tally and my shoulders. It was going to be a long day.

Wait... there was something missing. "Um, where'd my hoverboard go?"

Tally, Zane, and Fausto all burst out laughing. I just stood there watching them laugh at my serious question.

Inside jokes sucked when you were on the outside.

**A/N: Part II will be tomorrow and a lot longer! But until then, check these fics out!**

**A few days ago, I went on everyone's profile who alerted/favorited me or any of my stories, (Till the Day I Die, It Can Get Pretty Ugly When You're Extra Special, Take a Hint!, and Darkest Hours), or reviewed. It took a while lol. But I went through and read some of your stories since you are reading mine :) and a lot of them were really good! So here are a few you guys should DEFINITLY read: **

**~Revolution- Claire Dunlevy. It's Harry Potter, and really good :) Draco and Hermione pairing and a really good plot!**

**~Suffocated by Parchment- live4ever. It's also Harry Potter and REALLY funny. **

**~Twilight Character Powers- Rebecca aka Mrs. Jasper Hale. It's a list of EVERY known Twilight character power, including Didyme, who Stephenie Meyer told us about on her website. Did you know Aro killed her? And she was his sister. :( mean Aro. YOU DID THIS TO MARCUS! So find out what her gift was on here :)**

**~Selfish- Alice Fan Club. A fantastic Twilight story with a good, well thought of plot, but not AU at all, which I prefer. It's AMAZINGLY written, Stephenie Meyer-worthy, seriously. It's in it's beginning phases, but you should definitely read it!**

**~Scaring Edward- Fragile Little Human. It's also quite funny :) a one-shot.**

**~Seeing An Old Friend- Kirasof. It's Twilight and I'm not going to lie, there was a part at the beginning that kind of made me mad, but it's really good. I wouldn't be putting it on here if it wasn't lol. It may be on a_ short_ hiatus for now, but I really do have faith in it.**

**~If Only She Could See- paramore fanatic. It's a one-shot and super short, but Angela is my favorite character so I really liked it : -) seriously, you should read it. And review it. :)**

**~Through My Heart- TheWolfGirl-08. It's Twilight and it involves Bella and Nessie, but with many creative twists :) it was off to a slow start, but she updated recently and I think it's going to be REALLY good, its plot is amazing **=**)**

**~I Am- Shinobi Shingami, Twilight. It's a one-shot about Alice's horrible day in the asylum and how she got changed. I really liked it :)**

**~Anything for You- Flarefirered. It's Uglies, and yes, Zane lives! Haha it's good, I solemnly swear :)**

**~Beauty and the Beast- Grey Eyed Vampire. It's Twilight, AH, and the paragraphs are looong since they involve many lines of dialogue, not just one, but it's a good fic and really interesting. If she narrowed each paragraph down to only one person speaking, it would be great! **

**A lot of you don't have any fics! I was surprised lol. And I'm SO sorry if I didn't mention you **

**:( but I have reasons. I didn't put any on that haven't been updated in a while, if Bella doesn't have Edward and vice versa, (well, I had an exception or two), I didn't put up that many one-shots, and I prefer cannon couples, if Zane's not with Tally in Uglies fics, or he's dead, I didn't put those up because I can't read ones where Zane is dead, if they're too grammatically incorrect, (there's two that I think need to be beta'd, but I'll let you figure out which), or if it's anything I haven't read, like Warriors or Anime, I saw those two a lot. So don't hate me if you're not up here, please! And if you don't know why I didn't put one of yours up, I might not have read it! There were a lot and I probably skipped a few people by accident:( so review or PM me the link and I'll read it! And also, if there's one I didn't give a chance with because of the coupling, but you think it should be up there, I apologize, and I WIL read it if you send me the link and I'll put it up here if I liked it enough. :) Thank you all so much for reading this haha sorry it's so long, but I didn't really want to make this a whole new chapter. So I didn't :)**

**Read what I posted! :P**

**OH! And if you don't know how to upload fics, (I didn't know for a really long time ='( no one would reply and tell me how), just review or PM me and I'll tell you how :) I would tell you now, but it's so long already and I'm trying to stay on one page! I'm cutting **_**really **_**close. **


	13. Only Pretty on the Outside Part II

**Chapter Twelve: Only Pretty on the Outside part II**

**A/N: Yes, I stayed true to my word! Haha. I barely got any reviews on my last chapter ='( that kind of upset me. **

"No, seriously, where's my hoverboard?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow at the three Specials standing in front of me.

"It's gone. Trust me, it's gone," Fausto said before erupting into another round of laughter.

"Wh-what happened to it?" I asked worriedly. That hoverboard was needed. We were going to have another person joining us soon, hopefully, and we're going to be short two boards.

"Well, when you fell, so expertisely, might I add, your hoverboard didn't want to stop. So, Tally, Zane, and I were just riding, or running, along when your hoverboard comes flying to us, nearly decapitating Tally, swaying and turning wildly, like you were riding it, but invisibly... and really crazily. I guess it was one of those, 'you had to be there' moments, you know? But, obviously, you weren't there. You were kind of plummeting to your death. Which you survived.... Good job on that, by the way."

I continued to stare at Fausto like he was mentally challenged. I was seriously beginning to worry about this boy. And _I _was the one with the screwed-with mind? I wasn't so sure anymore."

"So, about our riding situations," Tally said, getting us back on subject. "Since Dasha's was so... tragically lost, we'll need to double. Or you can ride with Zane."

"Whatever gets us there faster," I said. _"Cause I'm beginning to doubt this boy's the way he left," _I mumbled under my breath.

Tally looked to the ground, Zane had one hand on her back, and Fausto was looking a little uncomfortable. Oh. She had superhuman hearing. They all did. So they all heard that.

The subject of David probably hurt a little more for Tally than it did the rest of us, so maybe I should keep my mouth shut. Seriously.

"Okay," Tally said, snapping her head up so fast I was surprised she didn't give herself whiplash. "Dasha with Zane, Fausto and I like we were, if we can find Dasha's board that would be nice, if not, David and I can double up. We've wasted a substantial amount of time that we can never get back, and not only today have we wasted this time. I want David free by next day's break."

I nodded, wanting Tally to have David back. By next day's break.

Tally and Fausto were already on their boards, ready to go, while Zane and I were still trying to get situated.

"So, you want to, uh, ride on my back? Or I could carry you?" It was a little awkward to say the least.

"Uh, whatever would be faster. I might choke you if I ride on your back, though." I internally cringed at the awkwardness of that sentence alone.

"I'll just carry you. Is that okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, totally fine, let's go."

And we were off.

I was cradled in Zane's arms like a baby, and I felt really... pathetic. Unhelpful. Inadequate.

Pretty.

And not in the good way.

I soon grew weary due to lack if sleep, and the constant motion of Zane's running, the cool breeze in the warm air, and the sound of Zane's even breath intake and heartbeats were making me more and more tired by the second.

The next thing I knew we were in front of Diego. It was a scary-looking place. The sky was a purple-ish color with clouds and a few stars visible. I could see the moon peeking out from behind a passing cloud. It went from being fully exposed, to fully covered, the clouds covering and uncovering it by the second.

I was on my own feet, no longer in Zane's arms. Fausto, Zane, and Tally were staring uncertainly into the city in front of us. Glowering at it, almost.

There was fog rolling across the ground, and due to to the hour, there was no one out. Diego looked abandoned and creepy.

I heard a rustling from behind me, but I turned around to face the dense trees surrounding the boarder of Diego. Whatever. I was probably just paranoid.

I glanced back over at Fausto, his flash tattoo dancing wildly around his glowering face. It looked kind of scary.

The strange tint of the sky was casting macabre shadows down on everything it faced. At the moment, I wanted more than anything to be back in Weston, safe with my ditzy Pretty friends. Safe.

But I couldn't be. I was here. I was here to rescue David.

I heard my own heart beat. It wasn't as fast as I thought it would be. Just a steady, _thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud_. It didn't sound like a normal heartbeat. It was too clam and even. What happened to the rhythmic _thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump..._?

My heartbeat grew even louder in my ears, impossibly loud. I placed my hand on my chest, making sure it was really even my heartbeat.

It wasn't.

My heart was beating less rhythmically and a lot more frantically. The sound got closer, I looked around, but no one was phased by this mysterious taunting sound but me.

"Tally!" I yelled, turning to face me.

She whipped around at the sound of her name, an angry, maniacal look on her face. She grabbed my face with a strong grip, digging her piercing nails into my flesh. "Shut up!" she hissed before letting go to turn back, facing the city.

My cheeks were bleeding and the _thuds_ were getting closer and louder. "Fausto?" I squeaked. No response.

"Z-Z-Zane?" I stuttered. I figured I would get no response from him, but he surprised me by slapping me on the face. It was a harsh blow, but it looked like it took no effort at all. Like he was holding back. The same spot that was bleeding from Tally's fingers was now swelling and red. It hurt like a bitch.

The _thuds_ were louder than ever and I finally saw what was causing them. A huge group of strangers were headed towards us. They were clad in black capes covering their faces and swaying behind them. The capes came down to their feet, but the fog completely covered their feet, making it appear as if they were gliding towards us.

The rhythmic stomps were loud and synchronized and the organization of the group was stunning. My mouth was agape as they came closer. They had formed a perfect triangle, a triangle that was now spreading out, somehow moving so that the front point was in the back, and the long line in the back was making a point at the front. They were now a diamond shape and the leader of the diamond was wearing a stark white cape, completely standing out from the pitch black ones.

"Tally, Zane, Fausto... Dasha," he greeted us by name. I could hear the smugness in his voice and it kind of scared me.

"Who are you?" I heard myself say. For once, I wish I'd just be able to shut up.

"I'm David."

My jaw dropped even further. I doubted this was the way David had been taken. This was... indescribable.

I took back those words as soon as his hood dropped. His _face_ was indescribable. Unfathomable.

His jawline was taught and muscular, and every line on his face was pronounced and sharp. But there was one thing that _really_ stood out. Jaggedly racing along his perfect, razor sharp features, was a bone white scar. It started at his eyebrow, crookedly and manically extending down to his jaw.

"We brought our side of the bargain. Now give us David," Tally demanded. Bargain? What bargain? What did they bring.

A pair of huge hands shoved me forwards into the crowd of cloaked strangers. I instantly felt hands grabbing me, securing me there.

David dropped his robe, exposing his tanned, muscular back and shoulders. There were scars there, also. It was strange. He walked to Tally, Zane, and Fausto, all either smirking, glaring, waving, or shaking their heads at me.

"No!" I yelled, trying to escape the steel death grips on my arms, shoulders, and wrists. A few more hands even grabbed my torso, forcing me to stay still.

One more cloaked person stepped out of the diamond, the diamond I was now the head of, and with Tally, Zane, Fausto, and David. It was a woman.

She let her cape fall, too, leaving it on the ground. She was Tally's height and had the same wickedly beautiful features. She walked over to Fausto, planting a kiss right on his lips.

"No!" I shouted again. "No!" I shouted over and over, but everyone seemed to have forgotten me.

"Fausto!" I yelled, changing it up. "Fausto!"

He yelled back, but not for me. It was a cry of anguish.

The Special girl turned around, her face covered in blood.... his blood. She went back, looking like she was kissing him, but coming back with more chunks of his flesh each time. She was devouring him.

"Fausto!" I yelled again even louder. A hand came up to cover my mouth, but I bit violently, too much like what that sick woman was doing to Fausto. The hand retreated, and I continued to scream.

Someone started shaking me, softly at first, then harder. The violent grips on me started to loosen and disappear. Things were going blurry.

I gasped, looking around. I was surrounded by Fausto, Zane, and Tally. The sky was a dark navy blue, and we seemed to be in the woods still. Not in Diego yet.

"What?" I croaked. What happened to the cloaked strangers? The cannibalistic woman? The scary David? The violent Tally and Zane?! The unresponsive Fausto?! What?!

"Dasha, it's okay, you were having a nightmare, Dasha," Fausto's voice soothed. I looked up at his unscathed face, sighing a breath of relief.

I clung onto him, not too aware of my actions. I was just too relieved to see him okay.

"It's okay, Dasha," he whispered to me. What was happening? So, it was just a dream. Now Fausto was acting like this and I... liked it? The confusion was overwhelming.

I quickly got up, but Fausto saved me from that big mistake.

"No!" he yelled, swooping me up.

"What the fu—?" I asked, stopping myself when I realized why he did what he did. "Oh yeah."

I was about to step on my bad ankle before Fausto picked me up.

"Hah. Thanks," I said awkwardly.

"No problem," he said, grinning at me.

He handed me back to Zane, getting back on his hoverboard, Tally was already on hers, waiting to get going.

It was barely an hour by the time we got there. And, thankfully, the city looked nothing like it had in my dream, The sky was dark, but I knew the sun was going to come up soon.

"So... are we going with my plan?" I asked, curious.

"Seems we are," Fausto sighed. "Just make sure to be careful."

I smiled up at him. I had a feeling things were changing.

Tally put on the smart plastic, expertisely making herself look like a completely different person. She changed her hair to blonde, a little lighter than mine, her eyes a shining green, her razor sharp features dulled by the smart plastic, her complexion a little lighter, and her teeth covered in caps to his the lethal knife-like points. She was a new person.

She swallowed some kind of pill, coughing a little afterwards. "The names Yanna. Yanna Talent."

I didn't even recognize her voice. It was soft, high, and nonthreatening, like any other Pretty voice.

"Isn't Fausto going to take you in? Like he captured you?" I asked

"We discussed that when you were sleeping," Tally said. "We're still going to use your plan, but it might be a little obvious if he just captures me. We're both going to be disguised."

"Oh...," I said, thinking over the plan.

"Well, come on, this pill doesn't last forever!" she snapped. It sounded so weird, no Pretty would talk that way.

"She's right, we really should get going. Zane?" I asked, looking around.

A head appeared out of nowhere, scaring me quite a bit. I bit my tongue to hold back the scream wanting to erupt.

Then the urge to laugh took over. That one I let. I was doubled over, laughing hysterically at Zane's floating head.

"Okay, okay," I said, gasping, "let's do this.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked over to see a man with curly red hair, pale skin, and green eyes standing behind me. Who was—wait. I knew that stance, that grin, that height and body. "Fausto?"

"The one and only," he said, his grin getting bigger.

I took a deep breath. Hopping to the hoverboard. I sat down on it, propping up my bad ankle. "Should I go first?"

"No," Fausto said. "I want to be there before you."

He stood on his hoverboard, bounding Tally with thick steel cables, bending them around her wrists. He took of to the Special Circumstances headquarters, and I can only imagine Zane following directly underneath.

I wondered how long I should wait. I knew my role wasn't that important, but I would make it important. I would surprise them all.

"O-ow," I grumbled, pouting my lips, pulling my eyebrows together some, and fluttering my eyelashes, like any Pretty would. "I think I hurt my ankle. It hurts, like, really, _really _bad."

I couldn't imagine what they would possibly say to me, but I decided to ready my explanation.

"I was hoverboarding with my friends, but then I fell and was like, 'I'm alright' and they were like 'okay' and this was the closest building I saw. Please help me..."

I knew they wouldn't melt under my 'distressed Pretty mode', but I doubted they would have any suspicions about me. They'd probably even think I was from their city.

I couldn't wait any longer, I had to go in. I hoverboarded most the way, but ditched it in a bush once I was close to the building. I limped for what seemed like miles, until I was greeted by the cool rush of air right outside the door.

I put on my "Pretty" face and "tried" to open the door.

I held my breath.

Oh, crap.

**A/N: I smell a cliffhanger! Haha. I got a pathetic amount of reviews on my last chapter... not that I deserve them for being such a horrible updater, but they're nice to receive :)**

**Oh, I have shin splints. Hah! I've been ignoring the pain in my legs for the past_ month_, thinking that I was just being a wuss, and continued to run a mile every day, but recently it's gotten so bad that I had to tell my coach about it, then he told me I probably had shin splints. Now I can barely even walk right and I have to get an MRI since I left it untreated for so long. And I find humor in all of it.**


	14. Finally

**Chapter Thirteen: Finally.**

**So sorry for the wait! I had to have three girls stay in my room, prospective students for next year at my boarding school, and I've been way to freaking busy with school, work, exams coming up, and I do like to maintain a social life lol. I'm sorry I'm not a frequent-updater :( Thank you to all my wonderful readers and reviewers, you guys are completely amazing, even with your threats to stop reading and reviewing if I don't update lol, I love you guys, too. Haha, ANYWAYS! Here's the chapter! And get ready for lots of twists, surprises, and revelations in these upcoming chapters! **

Tally POV

My heart was beating wildly. I hoped they couldn't see the rapidly moving flash tattoo under my fake skin. Cause that would just blow the whole plan.

Damn, this plan! It was risky, too trusting, but it just might work. David went through countless extremities for me, the least I could do was follow through with a risky plan to save him.

I regretted waiting so long, procrastinating. David would have hoverboarded day and night to save me, barely stopping. Even if we did all make it out unscathed, Dasha, Fausto, David, Zane, and I, I would still have failed him. I let so many things come before him. Sex, love, distractions, new friends, old enemies, (well, enemies regaining their friendship), and just waisting time in general.

Here we go, entering Diego's Special Circumstances Headquarters. I really hoped this would go smoothly.

My heartbeats were accelerating. I tried to calm myself by reminding myself that Zane was right underneath me, but that just made me more anxious. I didn't want to lose him again—not to the same place, especially—not at all.

Damn it, I was a Special. I Shouldn't be nervous about a mission, I shouldn't have emotional ties to anything or anyone, especially not ties that could distract me so well, and I shouldn't be losing focus like this. What was wrong with me? With my brain? Obviously, something was up. Way back when I was a Littlie, I was always had little adventures with Peris, spending more time with him than my own parents, doing things kids our age wouldn't usually be doing. Nothing bad, just... different. But here Peris was, Pretty and normal. As and Ugly, I wanted to stay in the wild instead of becoming beautiful, and reunited and happy with all my city friends. Sure, I wanted to be Pretty at first, but then I changed my mind. Then I ended up giving myself up for a risky, untested pill and turning Pretty. Then, as a Pretty, I rewired my brain, ran away thinking the pill had cured me, got in fights with my best friend, lived in an uncivilized village, stole a Special hovercar, and then I ran back to the wild where I wanted to be when I was an Ugly. And when I turned Special, I kept stupid Pretty, hell, I even kept _Ugly_ ties with me. I was supposed to let go of my past, forget about everything before life as a Special, but I didn't. I still kept a grudge against my best friend, I still had feelings of regret and jealously when seeing the first guy I really liked, I still had feelings for my brain damaged Pretty boyfriend, and I helped him and the other Crims escape their happy, _bubbly _lives. Then I became repulsed by my boyfriend, then cried over his death. And Specials weren't even supposed to cry. And here I am, nervous about a mission to save my best friend.

But... maybe I really was never any of those things. I was never what I was supposed to be. Never Ugly, never Pretty, never Special, only externally was I any of those things. I've always just been... Tally. That's really the only way to describe myself. Tally. I was just me. And no brain surgery could change that, apparently.

By the time I had finished my internal ranting, we were at the doors of Diego Special Circumstances.

I forced myself to start paying attention as we neared the building. This was not just my life on the line, but Zane, Dasha, Fausto, and David's, too. No time to fuck things up. I couldn't just be Tally right now, I had to be Special. I could do it, I knew I could, just not as naturally as most. But I was Tally Youngblood. And I was Special.

There were only a few guards throughout the entire building, mostly it was protected with lasers and other machines. No humans were really necessary.

There were eye-scanners and fingerprint analyzers at the front doors, but that was no problem, Fausto could get into the basic rooms, like the front doors, most places Fauntlen was in charge of, things like that.

He hopped down off of his hoverboard, yanking me into the building. I followed, pretending to put up a tiny bit of a fight. "_Traitor!_" I hissed, just for the dramatic effect. I knew the Specials heard me.

"Guess who?" Fausto asked in an arrogant tone.

I growled in an almost feral way to Fausto. I was an untamed Special living in the wild with a never-operated-on-Ugly. I doubt they expected me to show up with perfect manners, asking politely where David was being held so I could bust him out with only a _small_ amount of damage.

Fausto clawed his fingers down the side of my face, revealing tanner skin with rapidly swirling designs on it, sharper features, the face of Tally Youngblood. I squeezed my eyes shut harshly, popping out the contacts, and grinding my teeth together to rid my mouth of the vile caps.

"I'm back," I said, my voice not exactly the same, but close enough. Intimidating.

"Fausto, my brother," a disgustingly familiar voice said, making me internally cringe. "Look what we have here. Well done. I, myself, couldn't even catch this one."

He sauntered over to me, placing a filthy hand on my cheek. I jerked my head away, only for his hand to move down to my neck. I whipped my head back around and bit his hand. It tasted like metal.

"Argghh!!!" he shouted, pulling his hand back. "You broke my fucking hand! You'll pay for this!"

I glared at him in response, shaking my head. I imagined David would have put up some kind of fight, even one that was impossible to win. I wanted to be as close to David as possible. Damn it, I just wanted to know where he was! Was he Ugly, Pretty,... dead?

I knew Zane was close by. I took comfort in that. But I also wanted him as far away from this place as possible. He would do anything to save me, like revealing himself and getting himself put back in here. And I doubted they would make it as easy to escape... if they let him live.

I shook those thoughts out of my head, reminding myself that Zane was smart, and yes, he would save me at any cost, but not in such a stupid way. He'd get us both out... if he could. He always was so self-sacrificial.

No! I couldn't risk thinking that way. I was Special on a mission. All I can afford to focus on is the right way to carry through. I had to focus on this. On David. I had to use what Dr. Cable gave me. What I learned.

The next thing I knew, I was being dragged away, Fausto and Fauntlen jerking me down the hallway.

The led me into a room labeled _interrogation_, where they would interrogate me, I assumed.

"Let me handle this one," Fausto said firmly, sticking to the plan.

"Sorry, brother, she's mine," Fauntlen said, as if he was even in on the plan, too.

Fausto clenched his jaw and curled his hands into fists. "_Fine_, then let me have her partner," he insisted.

"Too late. He's being prepped for surgery right now. Quite the risky operation, never been done before, but hopefully, all will go smoothly. If not... oh, well."

I clenched my jaw, fighting back the urge to bust my way out of here, kill all the Specials, and rescue David. But that's what an irrational Ugly would do. A Special would stick to the plan, if that's what was needed to be done. Lives were on the line, and if I didn't stick with the plan, all could be in danger.

But now what? Do I just wait and be interrogated by Fauntlen while David is being prepped for the unthinkable?

Fauntlen turned around to face me, a wicked smile on his face, but I wasn't looking at him,my eyes were on Fausto.

And I didn't miss it when he winked at me and mouthed, "_I got this._"

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

Dasha POV

I put my hand on the scanner, knowing that I wouldn't get it. I widened my eyes for the eye scanner, knowing it would deny me.

But when the doors opened, and a gust of cool air hit me, I was in shock.

_Welcome, Hessa Scorten,_ the screen read. Um... that was my last name...but not me.

I limped in, looking around at all the different. These faces weren't your standard Pretty face at all, but after being with with two real Specials and one _extra_ special Special, they didn't look frightening at all to me.

Then, I realized that I had already broken my cover. No regular Pretty would come in confidently, the doors opening for them, and not say anything.

But... they didn't think I was just any Pretty,it seemed.

"Back so soon, Hessa?" one asked.

I froze for a moment, but getting back into character. "Guess so. Damn it, I hate these voice pills."

"Me too. What happened to your ankle?" the man inquired.

"My board went haywire. I'm gonna have to get that fixed," I said nonchalantly. I had no clue who this _Hessa_ person was, but apparently I was doing an okay job at being her.

"Why do you still have your Pretty skin on?" he asked.

"What is this, twenty questions?" I snapped in a non-Pretty way. "I have my reasons, okay?"

"Sorry, Hess. Bad mission?" the man inquired, even after I snapped. That must be pretty normal for her, I guessed.

"I'm going to let you answer that one for yourself, okay?" I asked, limping down the hallway.

"Aren't you going to get that fixed?" the man asked. Would he ever leave me, (her?), alone?

"Soon enough," I said mysteriously.

"Oh, get your butt over here so I can fix your ankle. You can't stay mad forever, Hess."

"Fine," I said limping over to him.

He swooped me up and took me to some random room down another wing.

"When did you break it?" he inquired. He was a very... inquisitive man. And not in the good way.

"A few minutes ago," I lied, hoping that was the right answer.

"That explains it. Well, it's healing kinda funny, probably from walking on it, so I'm just going to readjust it and put it back together."

After a few minutes, I was able to walk again.

"Thanks, I owe you one," I said, before leaving.

"Oh, Fauntlen is in the interrogation room, but I wouldn't bother him. You'd never believe who we captured.

"Tally Youngblood?" I asked, knowing very well who.

"Yeah, how did you know?" he asked.

"The Wild Boy has been caught, and no one else is worth the enthusiasm," I said.

I turned around, going back down the hall I was on before, thankful that the man had no more to say.

Why would this Hessa person care about Fauntlen... Fausto's brother.

I decided not to press my luck any further by going in the interrogation room, so I popped into a random, dark, abandoned-looking room.

"Hello?" I asked quietly, hoping I was alone.

"Whose there?" a voice asked. No such luck, apparently.

I couldn't see anything, but the voice didn't sound Special.

"You tell me," I said, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

"No, you first," the stranger insisted.

"You don't know me. My name is Dasha."

"Can I trust you Dasha?" the voice said, pleadingly.

"Of course," I said. "I've already trusted you."

"I'm David."

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

Zane POV

There was nothing I hated more than watching Tally go through with this plan while I had to sit there, watching Fauntlen put his filthy hands on her.

I wanted to rip his throat out, but I had to stick to the plan, I couldn't reveal myself unless Tally was in real danger that she couldn't handle herself. But Tally could handle anything, so my best bet was to remain still and silent until it was time to do otherwise.

"How did he get you, Tally?" Fauntlen asked, leaning towards her, like he would always do with me. "Did he tell you Zane was here? Did he outsmart you? Fool you?"

Tally glared at him, refusing to speak.

"Zane's not here, Tally. He's dead. Granted, he was here, but he was getting out of hand. We had to do something about him."

"Liar," Tally whispered. I froze, but relaxed again. She knew what she was doing. "I watched him die, I was there."

"You were wrong. See, even superior Specials, such as yourself, make he stupidest mistakes. And worse than that, you cant accept it when you do."

This went on and on. I knew all Tally wanted to do was get out and get David, but she remained in her seat, playing her part very well. She really did amaze me. And Fauntlen really _was_ stupid sometimes.

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

Fausto POV

He wasn't in the surgery room. Not one of them. He wasn't anywhere to be found. I had figured Fauntlen was lying about David to Tally, now I knew he was. I checked every other room, too, but he was nowhere.

I couldn't concentrate on finding him, though. All I could think about was Dasha. Where was she? Was she okay? Was she still hurt? Was she scared? Was she okay? Did she blow her cover? Did they have her captive? And damn it, was she okay?!

I began to look for Dasha subconsciously, rather than David, but where to find her?

Every room I searched was empty of either of them.

Maybe she chickened out. Maybe she couldn't do it...

Although that would make me feel a lot better, the chances were slim.

No, actually, the chances were none.

I started looking in every room I passed, needing to find Dasha.

Finally, I head whispering in one room, and the whispering sounded very familiar.

I opened the door, being faced with none other than Dasha and David, alone in an empty storage closet with all the lights out.

"Fausto!" Dasha hissed, pulling me into the closet with her and David. I was confused, but I couldn't deny the feelings I had due to the fact that Dasha and I were in such close quarters, alone...

"Eh-hem," David cleared his throat. Well, we were _almost_ alone.

"David, good to see you haven't gone under the knife," I said. I really couldn't think of anything better to say.

Before he could respond, Dasha's small cool hands were on either side of my face, pulling me down to face her.

My heart rate sped up and I hoped she couldn't hear it. Was she going to... make a move? I leaned in a little, urging her to, but she kept my face steady in her hands.

"Who the hell is Hessa?" she asked.

"Hessa?" I asked incredulously. How would she know about Hessa, and why would she need to?

"Yes, Hessa, the girl who has the same eye and hand prints and the same last name!"

Wait... what?! Dasha was the one who... but that was impossible.

"But... how are you alive, then?"

"What the fuck do you mean, Fausto?" she asked, bringing my face even closer to hers, as if she wasn't tempting enough.

"Hessa killed her sister almost a decade ago in order to come to Diego. She got a surge to give her the same prints, too. Dasha Scorten?"

"Yeah...," she said softly. "That's me."

"Guess even Hessa has enough of a heart to kill her sister," I said, thankful she didn't.

"But... wouldn't the cities notice? That we had the same prints and stuff?" she asked, taking it all in very well.

"I have no idea, Dasha Scorten, but right now let's just focus on getting out alive, shall we?"

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

**A/N: OOOH.... twists! Haha, and this is only the beginning of them! But I do have some questions for you guys to answer. Now in my story plot line, the story branches out like a nice little tributary of choices and decisions I need to make. So I need you guys to help me decide.**

**Whose POV do you guys prefer? I've been switching around a lot and I want to stick with one or two mostly.**

**I'm adding one or two more Scott Westerfeld characters in my fic, who do you want them to be? From Uglies series only... and if you want someone from Extras I have a few ideas for that too.**

**What coupling do you want, doesn't have to include just the characters in my fics, *see no. 2* you can choose someone from my fic and someone from Scott's books, or two from Scott's books, up to you. :)**

**Thank you guys for being so awesome! I'm always open to suggestions and critique :)**


	15. Rescue

**Chapter 14: Rescue**

**I am SO sorry! I'm not even worthy for forgiveness. Over two moths? That's fucking crazy! I have my reasons for not updating, I assure you that, but here's the loooooong-awaited chapter!**

**And since it has been so long, in case some of you have forgotten anything, here's a recap of the last thirteen chapters. Skip if you remember:**

**Zane is back and superhuman, saved by the Specials of Diego rather than being killed by the surgeons. He comes back just in time to help Tally find David, her still Ugly best friend who helped her mourn the loss of Zane. But, along the way they find a Pretty with a not so pretty attitude, Dasha with a mysterious background. Then, they just so happen to run into the former friend and complete traitor, Fausto, who swears he's a traitor no longer. Tally is more reluctant to trust him, but Zane agrees to let him help right away. Especially since his brother, Fauntlen, is head Special in Diego, and Fausto is allowed to come and go as he pleases. **

**The strange group of a Pretty, two Specials, and one _extremely_ Special, set off to Diego to rescue David. Sparks seem to fly between Dasha and Fausto, who seem to have feelings for each other, but deny it profusely. All the while, Tally and Zane's relationship reaches a more physical point, and neither can seem to get enough, slowing them down. After Fausto and Dasha have to listen in on the Special lovin', Fausto decides he has enough and breaks the two apart.**

**They formulate a plan as they get closer and closer to Diego. But no plan seems to stick. After a nasty fall and a break to Dasha's ankle, a plan finally formulates, a real one. Then they reach Diego, following through with the plan.**

**Fausto brings Tally in, pretending like he captured her, something Tally wasn't too thrilled about, and Zane, in a sneak suit, follows closely behind. Tally gets dropped off in an interrogation room, where a rather dense Special questions here, not knowing Zane is in the room with them.**

**Dasha, ready to pretend to be a lost, hurt Pretty, tries getting into the Special Circumstances building, knowing she won't be able to get in, until someone comes out, that is.**

**Only... she does get in. As a Hessa Scorten. Same last name, strange first one. She limps in an, what do you know, she gets greeted as who other than Hessa. Second in command Special originally from Weston, the rather uncivilized city Dasha herself is from. Also Fauntlen's girlfriend. She gets her ankle fixed by a Special who thinks she's in Pretty disguise, and heads off to hide somewhere. A closet will work.**

**And there she finds David. In a storage closet. Soon, Fausto joins the party as well, all there of them inside the small dark place, contemplating what to do next... **

Fausto POV

I was in a storage closet in a Special Circumstances headquarter with an over-aged Ugly and a Pretty whose identity has been stolen, and I might just be in love with her..

"Fausto?" Dasha whispered.

"What?" I asked, my whisper coming out as more of a sadistic hiss.

"What do we do now!?"

"We, um, stick with the plan?" It was more of a question than an answer, but I really couldn't remember what to do at the moment.

"Well, I was kind of sleeping when the new plan was being discussed, so if you would ever so kindly fill me in, that'd be great!" Dasha hissed, somehow sounding more lethal than me.

"Could someone fill me in please?" David asked. I had actually forgotten he was there, even though he was the whole reason for us _being_ there.

"We're busting you out," I said simply.

"Oh. Great. How?"

"We're taking the emergency exit." I answered, fully knowing how horrible of an answer that was.

"Jeez, Fausto, you're on a roll with these vague explanations," Dasha said, hitting me in the arm.

"Do you think you could do any better?" I asked, faux-challenging her.

"I think_ David_ could do better, and he doesn't even know what's going on!"

"Ah, but you can't," I said.

Dasha ignored me and turned to David. "We're getting you out of here, but of course we can't just walk you out of the front doors. We have a sneak suit for you, but even those can be seen, and obviously they can be seen opening a door. So we're sneaking out the fire escapes, hidden underground. I know where they would be, but the Specials would try to hide them, and they wouldn't let anyone who they don't trust know about them, but I assure you, they're there. It's standard code for every building to have at least four, usually one on the far left and far right of the building, it's illegal to cover them up, so they'll be in a far corner, most likely. An alarm would go off in one was taken, but they're ridiculously easy to disassemble. My father taught me."

"Wow," I said. "You certainly did do better then me."

"I know," Dasha said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "As you know, Zane and Tally are here, too. Tally's a kick ass Special, as well as Zane, and Zane of all people knows his way around this place, so it's good they're here. Tally is being interrogated right about now, and Zane is hiding with her. They're waiting for some kind of sign that tells them to do something. Damn it, please tell me you guys talked this over while you left me sleeping."

"Of course," I answered. "Everyone but me is going to have a sneak suit. I'm going to walk past the interrogation room and wink at Tally, that means it's time for her and Zane to kill whoever the unfortunate soul is who's interrogating her. They meet us I slip in, hand her the suit, they follow me to the east wing, where no one usually is, and where you guys will be. We find the escape, Dasha so expertly disarms it, and we're off."

"At least I hope I can disarm it. It might be above regulation—a little harder to crack," Dasha said almost nervously.

"You can," I assured her.

"I better. I swear if I fucking screw this up—"

"Dasha," I said sternly. "Right now is really not the time to aim your hostility at yourself."

"Why don't I aim it at you, then?" she sneered. "Could you maybe take this a little more seriously? If _anyone_ screws anything up, we're all fucking dead. If Tally misses your wink, if they don't kill who they're supposed to, if any of us are spotted, if they catch on to anything! They may not be _super special_, but I think they at least know what they're supposed to be doing here. They still think like Specials."

"Dasha, calm down," I hissed. "Someone might fucking hear you."

"And I have a _sister_, Fausto. I have a sister who pretended to kill me, has my finger and eye prints. How the hell does that even work?"

I grabbed her by the shoulders, looking her in her sparkling blue eyes. She probably couldn't see any more of me than a blur—if that—but it didn't matter. "We'll talk about this later. You know it's inevitable to discuss what's going to happen to you after we get out of here. Now especially, knowing what we do. I doubt you can just go back to Weston and act like nothing happened. And they'll question you for sure, something even you can't get out of. Things are crazy, I know, but let's focus on getting out of here and bringing David back with us. We can do it."

Her face softened, making her look like the innocent Pretty she was supposed to be, but she quickly caught herself, glaring at me with all she had. "_Touching_. Real touching. I'm glad after we get out of this we're going to have a little group chat on what to do with the troubled Pretty."

I rolled my eyes, even though she probably couldn't see it.

"Don't roll your eyes at me," she chided, smirking.

"You saw—"

"No. You're just _that_ predictable."

"Hah. This is the most entertainment I've had in a while," David piped up for the first time. "And by the sound of it, I take it Zane's alive? I was pretty sure it was bullshit when they were telling me they killed him when he tried to escape. And by the way, Dasha, I've never heard a Pretty using Rusty language. It's more heard around Specials... and me."

"I use Rusty phrases sometimes, too. I got the habit because my mother curses like a sailor."

"My dad used to use that phrase!" David said excitedly. I could see the sadness in his eyes after he said it, though.

"Here," I said, handing them a pair of sneak suits. "I'll head out, you guys put these on, and go get to work on disarming the east wing emergency exit."

I wasted no time casually walking out of the closet, hoping this all goes well.

Tally POV

For God's sake. Where the hell was Fausto? I swear, if he fucking decided to take this time to finally shack up with Dasha, I was going to rip off his damn head. And not just the one on his neck.

I met they eyes of my interrogator, the ignorant bastard. He really thought he was 'wearing me down'. If only he knew he was wearing down nothing more than my patience, which would result in making his already-planned death that much more painful. Idiot.

Before he could ask me any more ridiculous questions, I saw Fausto walk by the door and wink at me. Finally. I was getting ready to kill this motherfucker across from me weather Fausto was ready or not. I wasted no time lunging across the table and breaking his neck. So much for long and painful. But that wasn't my mission, I was supposed to make it fast so he didn't have time to scream or do anything to harm the _sacred _plan. Of course, who knows how many people were listening in, and after the sickening _crack_ of his neck and abrupt loss of words, I'm sure they were on their way.

I saw the door open a sliver, indicating that Zane was already there and ready to follow me. I slipped on my sneak suit and grabbed Zane's hand. We slipped out the door, making our way down to the east wing.

Sure enough, about ten oblivious "Specials" made their way down to the room I was just in, not one taking notice of Zane or me.

I hated Zane being here once again. I wasn't afraid of losing him; combined, we could kill every armed Special in the building and then some. Hell, we could do that alone. But the fact that these incompetent fuckers kept him here for so long pissed me the Hell off. And the fact that they were trying to say that when he got out of line, they killed him? Bitch, please.

Even if we didn't have to, I'd be pretty content with killing a few of them. Leave the rest a little message. Better yet, make them _watch_ and if they even _tried _to do anything about it... rest assured, all hell would break loose. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn.

That little "saying" was banned for unsubtly hinted sexism, but to hell if that stopped us Specials. And Dasha, too apparently. Specials, my, Fausto, and Zane's kind at least, were fond of using Rusty lingo every once in a while, but never before had I heard a Pretty use it before. Where'd she even pick that up?

Hand in hand, Zane and I made our way to the east wing, where I saw a few faint blobs and Fausto. One blurry mess was what looked like to be disarming the east wing alarm system. Dasha. Never had I thought, aside my Crim friends, I would befriend a Pretty. Even the Crims were a little boring, to say the least. I was actually fond of Dasha, she wasn't like any Pretty I knew. She was like me. Only, I didn't even have that much attitude as a Pretty. She was like a mix of all three, Ugly, Pretty, and Special. I had a feeling no operation could change who she really is.

Just like Zane. So much he'd gone though, mostly for me.

"Shit, shit, shit," I heard Dasha-blur say in a rush.

"Okay, it's disarmed... for about forty-five seconds," Dasha explained. "Go. Right fucking now, or this was all a waste."

Zane took my hand and grabbed me through the small doorway leading outside. I wasn't sure about this. Why wasn't Dasha moving?

Fausto and David stared down at Dasha, telling her to go.

"I can't yet, you get a head and I'll catch up," Dasha said, making my stomach drop. A rather new feeling for me. I was really getting attached to this girl.

"Come one, Tally," Zane said, pulling me. "You know as well as I do Fausto will make sure she gets out safely.

I reluctantly ran with Zane as fast as we could, feeling like a traitor.

Dasha POV

For fuck's sake, why the hell wouldn't Fausto just leave?

David left a few seconds ago, running to Tally. I should have felt betrayed, but I felt relief. The only betrayal I felt was by Fausto. He needed to fucking leave.

"Go. Now, Fausto, or I swear, I will personally castrate you."

I huffed a breath, connecting random wires, and never stopping. If I stopped, an alarm would sound.

"I'll leave when you do," he said stubbornly.

"If they fucking catch you here, you're no use to us. They think you're on their side, so either go tell them we escaped, giving them the wrong directions, or leave with Tally, Zane, and David. Have an ounce of faith in me, will you?"

"I have faith in you, obviously, but you against dozens of armed Specials? I don't think you could take all of that."

"Go. Go,or I set off the alarm," I threatened seriously.

"You wouldn't," Fausto said, narrowing his eyes at the blurry figure that was me.

"Fucking. Try. Me," I said slowly. "I'd of course make it look like you captured me."

"Please, Fausto. Go. Please go," I begged. I knew they were coming, and Fausto couldn't get caught. Not because I was just so concerned about his safety, but he was being stupid and selfish. We needed him, he was the only one of us who wasn't on Diego's Top Ten Most Wanted. I'm sure as soon as Hessa was questioned about her ankle and strange behavior, she would have some clue about me. Then she'd probably kill me for real. When Fausto made no move to leave, I started again. "You're being so fucking selfish, Fausto. I can't even believe it. You can't outrun a hovercar, can you? Go and get everyone else and setup the hoverboards. It's my only chance."

"You run. You fucking run as fast as you can. I can't believe this," he sighed, stepping out. "Dasha?"

I looked up, unsure of what else he was going to add.

"Just... be fast."

Something told me that wasn't all he wanted to say, but I let it slide, relieved he was gone, and went back to work.

If only I could hold the blue and yellow together, then I'd have a chance at disarming the safety, which was currently my prime obstacle.

I remembered a trick my father taught me years ago. It better work. Holding the wires together, I lifted up my foot, biting off a small strip of my flexible rubber sole.

Drying it off, I plunged the two wired carefully into it. The stuck.

I disarmed the safety, giving me some more time. I wasn't sure how much, but I knew it was my time to run.

I ran as fast as I could, thankful Fausto didn't wait for me outside, something I feared he would be stupid enough to do.

I as running faster and getting farther away from Special Circumstances and so far, so good. No alarms, no hovercars, no one following me. A shadow fell over me, blocking my sunlight. It was actually kind of nice. Until I heard the faint hum of a hoverboards engine.

"Gotcha," a blonde woman said, jumping off the hoverboard and onto _me_.

I fell to the ground with a _thud_. She had my arms pinned behind my back and I was weighing my chances of getting free. I could use the element of surprise, but how far could I get? I might be able to hurt her a little, but chances are she could hurt me a lot worse. Fausto could save me...

No. That would be humiliating. I told him I could handle myself.

"It seems like you found out _our_ little secret," the woman on top of me said. I squirmed in her grasp to take a look at her.

I gasped.

"Long time no see _sister_."

Tally POV

Zane, David, Fausto, and I were all accounted for. But where the flying fuck was Dasha? Which is exactly what I asked Fausto, who was supposed to make sure she got out safely. And now here he was, but where the fuck was she!?

"We need to get a hoverboard back to her _now_," he commanded.

"Well what are you waiting for?" I asked, throwing a board at him.

Instead of answering, he took off to a running start with it, jumping on it without stopping.

_Show off_.

"David," I breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally sinking in; we got David back.

But did we sacrifice Dasha to do so?

"Long time no see, Youngblood," David said, smirking at me.

"Shut up, we came as fast as we could," I laughed halfheartedly.

I was glad David was back. I wasn't sure how things were going to be now that Zane was back, too. Awkward? I was almost sure of that.

"Good to see you, too, Zane," David said, nodding a bit. "I'm, uh, glad they didn't really kill you."

Yes. Awkward indeed.

"Me too..." Zane answered, nodding with David. I suddenly felt Zane's arm wrap around me, pulling me close to his side. This small move actually angered me. He wasn't doing it to be close to me, he was doing it to show David that we were together again. He was marking his fucking territory.

You could give a man dozens of life altering surgeries, but never will they let go of their controlling, jealous, pre-Rusty primitive nature.

"So I take it you two picked up where you left off?" David asked, looking around. Poor David.

"That and more," Zane said, smirking.

"Oh," David said, sadness apparent in his eyes. "Well, that's good. Tally was... kind of broken after you left. I hope you keep her happy."

I broke free of Zane to give David an awkward hug. "_You_ kept me happy. I wouldn't have been able to make it without you, David. Don't forget that. You're my best friend."

Zane had a look of jealousy in his eyes, but also regret. He can't be mad at David for comforting me when I thought he was dead.

I looked between the both of them, do glad that I had them back. I'd almost lost them bother to the Diego Special Circumstances Headquarters, and I couldn't help but wonder if Dasha was next. It seems like we were all having a stay there, just for the hell of it. We'd get Dasha back, but Fausto in her place. Would that make it my turn after we rescued him? _Would_ we rescue him?

Of course, I told myself. He was one of Zane's best friends, and there was definitely something going on between him and Dasha. And he _did_ play a major part in the plan to get David back and actually managed to follow through without betraying us all... so far.

**AN: There you have it. I hope I got everything right during the summary lol. Review? **


End file.
